America’s best St. Patrick’s Day celebrations

by Aimee Heckel · February 28, 2013

By Aimee Heckel

Who doesn’t want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland? But realistically, who can afford it? Not everyone.

If you’re looking for a fun way to celebrate St. Patty’s this year but you’re looking to stay within the states — maybe plan a road trip or book a cheap continental flight — here are your best bets.

1. Travel to Boston. This U.S. city is known for holding the world’s first recorded St. Patrick’s Day parade — in 1737. Yes, in Massachusetts, not Ireland. Needless to say, this longstanding tradition is not only historical, but also incredible. The South Boston Parade includes floats, music and more than 850,000 people.

Insider tip: Check out the South Boston Parade’s “approved” list of bars along the route by visiting bars.southbostonparade.org. Don’t miss Shenannigans Irish Pub on West Broadway, and not just because the name is fun to say. Save money by checking out the “specials” link on the bar’s webpage.

2. Booking tickets? Priceline.com offers special St. Patrick’s Day travel deals online. Several of the U.S. St. Patty’s destinations (complete with travel deals) that Priceline recommends include Savannah, Ga.; Pittsburgh; and Philadelphia.

Note: Philly’s St. Patty’s Day parade will be held March 10, not the 17th.

Save even more money when booking a trip through Priceline.com by checking the deals and coupon codes at ShotAtHome.com. The Staff Pick deal is save 50 percent off last-minute deals on flights, cars, hotels and packages, plus up to 6 percent cash back.

3. Looking for something different? Something beyond parades, bagpipes and green beer? Check out what the Boston Irish Tourism Association has to offer.

The World Irish Dancing Championships are in Boston March 23-31.
Don’t miss the Irish Heritage Trail, a series of historical landmarks of Irish-American influence in America.
If you can’t make it to Boston this March, plan a trip for the third Saturday in July, when the city holds its annual Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival, a celebration of Celtic culture.
Browse through the City of Boston’s visitors website to further customize your vacation.

4. If you love green — and lots of it — head to Chicago. Here, the Chicago River is dyed green. Between this site, the parades and people-watching, St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t need to be an expensive vacation to be highly entertaining and memorable.