St. Patrick’s Day at the Temple Bar in Dublin
Credit: kulicki/Getty
But it’s the downtown parade that turns up the bells, whistles, and
bling — starting with the Chicago River itself, which is dyed emerald
green for five hours on parade day. Watching this annual tradition is
as important as the parade itself, so arrive early to stake out a prime
view on the Michigan Avenue Bridge or along the Chicago Riverwalk.
The parade itself begins on Columbus Drive and moves north through
Grant Park for roughly three hours to a raucous 400,000-strong crowd.
In 2019, expect more of them to be jigging and reeling to the year’s
parade theme: “The music of Ireland.”
GETTING THERE: United Airlines and American Airlines offer
multiple daily nonstop flights from both IAD and DCA to ORD.
Southwest Airlines offers multiple daily nonstop flights from DCA to
Chicago-Midway (MDW).
Few cities are more imbued with the luck of the Irish than Boston —
home to the country’s largest percentage (22.8) of Irish descendants in
any major American city, according US Census Bureau. That pride is on
display all year, particularly at Boston Celtics home games, but it most
definitely culminates at the St. Patrick’s Day parade, now in its 118th
year, through the most Irish of Boston neighborhoods: “Southie.”
From West Broadway to East Broadway, marching bands, pipers,
minutemen, mascots, leprechauns, and floats pass by up to 200,000
boisterous and well-oiled revelers spilling from windows, shops,
stoops, rooftops, and pubs. There’s plenty of corned beef and cabbage
boiling in the kitchens, but it might be most delicious at the Chief
Marshal’s annual banquet, thanks to the added dancing and musical
performances. For a deeper dive into Boston’s Irish history, step onto
the 3-mile Irish Heritage Trail through downtown, the North End,
Beacon Hill, and Back Bay.
March 17 commemorates more than just St. Patrick in Boston. On
the same day in 1776, the hated British redcoats were finally expelled
from the city during the Revolutionary War — an event still celebrated
annually as “Evacuation Day.” That means soldiers and vets get a
particular tribute during the St. Patrick’s Day festivities, with plenty of
red, white, and blue mixed in with the green.
WHERE TO STAY: From the moment you step foot into the Mandarin
Oriental Boston, you know you’re someplace special. From the
welcoming entrance to the beautifully appointed rooms, the Mandarin
Oriental has it all.
Conveniently located on Boylston Street, it is within walking distance
to all that Boston has to offer, including Fenway Park and the New
England Aquarium.
The rooms in Mandarin Oriental Boston are are designed with luxury
in mind. The bathrooms have soaking tubs and a separate walk-
in shower. With view of the Back Bay on the front of the hotel or
residential to the back, either view is spectacular.
GETTING THERE: It’s quite easy to get to Boston from both IAD and
DCA. United offers multiple daily nonstop flights from IAD to BOS
while Jetblue and American Airlines both offer multiple nonstop daily
flights from DCA to BOS.
FLYWASHINGTON.COM 38 SPRING 2019
St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Chicago
Credit: niXerKG/Creative Commons