With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, there’s one thing us Chicago lovers look forward to every year – Chicago’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Whether you’ll be hopping on the Metra train with some friends from the suburbs or you’re a born and raised Chicago native yourself, some things are just a given for surviving the chaos that comes with this day.
1. Get a group of friends that will make the best out of any situation.
Yes, on days like this Chicago can get a little bit crazy, and a little bit stressful. Find a group that’ll go into the day with a good mindset, ready to have fun, and you’ll be good! (As long as you stick together through the crowds!)
2. Put together a stylish, yet festive outfit.
This is clearly the most important for us girls. You know you’ll be taking a ton of pictures so might as well plan out something so you look cute on Instagram. Wal-Mart, Meijer, Target, and Amazon all have plenty to choose from when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day t-shirts. Once you’ve got your t-shirt, add a little bit of edge to it by cutting it up to give you a cute DIY look. If you’re not the crafty type don’t sweat it, Hamsa Faith has some really cute options for St. Patty’s Day available for you to buy on their website! https://hamsafaith.com/
3. Download the Ventra App.
If you’re traveling to the city from the suburbs – this is a must! The train station will be insane the day of the parade, if you have the Ventra App downloaded on your phone it makes it easy for you to access train times, tickets, and any other information you may need about the train station. Once you’ve got this, your biggest struggle will just be getting you and all of your friends there in one piece, good luck!
4. Bring your phone charger.
Yes, your phone will die from all the Snapchats and pictures you’ll be taking. Yes, you’ll have almost lose your friends at some point throughout the day. Yes, you’ll be kicking yourself if you forget your phone charger. One of the best purchases I ever made was buying a charging phone case for my iPhone off of Amazon. They’re pretty inexpensive and so worth it on days like this where you’ll be gone all day and not normally near an outlet. 10/10 would recommend looking into purchasing one!
5. Wear shoes that you aren’t afraid of ruining.
Ladies, save the white converse for another time and another place. I would highly advise wearing your best pair of already ruined frat basement shoes or get a cheap pair of knock off vans or converse from Wal-Mart or Target!
6. Bring a to-go cup or water bottle you don’t care about losing.
Whether you’re smuggling in soda or something stronger, chances are you’ll end up losing it in a port-o-potty or on the streets somewhere. Stop at McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts, or Starbucks on your way to the parade and get a disposable one that you won’t care about losing!
7. Buy some cute St. Patty’s Day accessories.
This should just be a given. This is the only time of the year you can rock green accessories, you might as well embrace it!
For those of us not going on an extravagant spring break getaway to somewhere all-inclusive, this is the day we’ve been looking forward to! Have fun and be safe, we are so blessed to have this beautiful city to experience days like this in.