The Best St. Patrick's Day Events in Boston for 2025

The annual parade will kick off in South Boston, as it has since 1901, with massive crowds, day drinking and lots of Irish-American pride. Get there early for a good viewing spot, or find a friend with a balcony overlooking the parade route because the bars will be packed. For a more low-key experience, watch the festivities from Medal of Honor park

There is certainly no shortage of Irish pubs in Boston, and all of them will be packed and pouring pints starting on Friday, March 14 through St. Patrick’s Day on Monday, March 17. With the parade on Sunday, March 16, you’ll want to plan your day drinking in advance. Many pubs require tickets purchased in advance, so be sure to check and snag a reservation ahead of time. For pubs just opening their doors, get there early, because the lines over St. Patrick’s Day weekend can get long—be ready to wait.

On Saturday, March 15, Gold Rush Bar Crawl for St. Patrick's Day starts at 1pm and ends at 1am. Tickets are $14.99, and can be purchased here. Bars and pubs across the city are participating, including Game On!, Loretta's Last Call, Bleacher Bar, Lansdowne Pub, Bill's Bar, Back Bay Social Club, Summer Shack and Rochambeau. Your ticket will get you into all venues, all day, where there will be over 20 DJs spinning, and cash giveaways.

Also on Saturday, March 15, the Get Lucky Pub Crawl brings together merrymakers for bar hopping through the West End, Faneuil Hall, the Seaport District and more. Tickets start at $18.50, and can be purchased here. Just check in at one of the designated locations that morning—like Loco Fenway, Scores, Nash Bar and more—and you’ll get a digital map to navigate the day. Trolleys will be available to take revellers to different neighborhoods for more drinking!

On St. Patrick’s Day from 6pm until midnight, the Kiss Me, I’m Irish bar crawl offers ten boozy stops throughout the city, with bars offering drink specials. Tickets start at $24.50 and can be purchased here.

One of Boston’s favorite traditions is the annual St. Patrick’s Day concerts from the Celtic punk band—they even played to an empty room and streamed live in 2020—so get your tickets sooner rather than later. They’re playing four nights in the city, starting on Friday March 14, with three nights at MGM Music Hall. Then on Monday, March 17, they’ll headline a St. Patrick’s Day concert at the House of Blues. Get your tickets here, or check out the livestream from home.

The Irish Heritage Trail is a self-guided, three-mile walk through 20 historically significant sites around town. The tour highlights the contributions of local Irish-Americans such as John F. Kennedy Jr. The walk starts at the Rose Kennedy Garden, passes City Hall and the Irish Famine Memorial, among other important stops and finishes at Fenway Park. If you’re hungry after your walk, visit Time Out Market, which is steps from the home of the Red Sox.

One of Ireland’s finest exports, and one of the best representations of whiskey, is the Irish made stuff.  It's most often triple-distilled from unmalted barley that is typically blended with grain whiskey, though there are single malts as well. If you’re a newbie or an experienced enthusiast, you can raise a glass to the Irish at one of these bars.

All of that partying and downing pints can work up an appetite. Take a break between drafts and feast on an array of menu specials that local restaurants plan to offer in celebration of St. Paddy.  Whether it's corned beef and cabbage or shepherd's pie wontons, these dishes will fill you up and leave you ready for one more round of drinks.