It’s about that time of year again when Chi-rish invades the city’s streets and bars. No other city celebrates St. Paddy’s day quite like Chicago! The great thing about living in an urban environment is that there is always something exciting and interesting going on. Here are some fun, lively outdoor and indoor activities happening in Chicago for St. Pat’s Day.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Something every Chicagoan looks forward to every March besides Spring Break is the annual St. Paddy’s Day Parade! This year the parade will be on Saturday, March 16th at noon. It will start at Balboa and Columbus and will continue north to Monroe Dr. The dyeing of the Chicago River at 10am is also something definitely worth watching. The best view spots are the east side of the Michigan Ave bridge, the west side of the Columbus Dr. bridge, or upper and lower Wacker Dr.
St. Patrick’s Day Festival
This year the festival will take place at Chicago’s Irish American Heritage Center on Saturday, March 16th from 1pm to midnight. It is a large scale, family event that includes traditional Irish food, music, dance, and fun! For more info check out their website at: http://irish-american.org/
St. Paddy’s 5k/8k Run
Love walking/running events in Chicago? Start your St. Paddy’s day celebration with a fun walk/run that benefits the Chicago Irish American Heritage Center. It starts at 9:30am on Saturday, March 16th along Chicago’s beautiful lakefront in Lincoln Park.
http://stpaddysdayrunchicago.com/
Chicago Bulls Game
On March 18th, the Chicago Bulls will host the Denver Nuggets at the United Center. The Bulls will wear their green jerseys in continuing this St. Pat’s Day tradition and will offer special St. Pat’s Day mugs to guests 21 and over. What better way to display your Chi-rish pride than by wearing a decked out green Bulls jersey while cheering for your favorite NBA team?!
St. Patty’s Party/Pub Crawl
Now in its 16th year, the St. Patty’s Crawl Chicago will continue its legacy Saturday, March 16th at Excalibur Nightclub. This crawl truly captures all the manic and wild experience of St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago! For more details on this event, check out their website at http://stpattyscrawlchicago.com/
If you’re looking for a night out with your girls some other great places to check out are in Wrigleyville. Bars like Harry Caray’s, Goose Island, the Cubby Bear, and Johnny O’Hagan’s will definitely have a college crowd and cheap beer. There are also some great Irish pubs within the Loop such as Fado Irish Pub, O’Callaghan’s, and Poag Mohone’s that host large St. Patrick’s Day parties.
Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8k
The St. Patrick’s Day celebration continues after the 17th! Put down those beers and green painted faces and participate in the Shamrock Shuffle! Registration is now open! If you’re not up for running this event, come out and volunteer. This year it will take place on April 7th and it will sure be as fun and memorable as previous years. http://www.shamrockshuffle.com/