The best St. Patrick’s Day events in NYC

The New York City Saint Patrick's Day Parade is coming up soon, and NYC's parade is a really big deal. It's the oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the world. The first NYC parade was held in 1762, and it's been a time-honored tradition of Irish pride ever since. 

From pipe and drum bands to dancers and performers in regalia, midtown Manhattan transforms into a big party with a sea of green revelers every year for this festive affair. More than 150,000 people march in the parade every year, with more than 2 million spectators cheering them on.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes place on Monday, March 17, 2025. Here's our full guide to timings, road closures, and more.

Literature is central to Ireland's history and culture, and this event celebrates the country's literary heritage. This year's Book Day on Monday, March 17, honors voices from the Irish and Irish American literary heritages.

As always, the Center and its sponsors, partners and supporters—The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, New York; Culture Ireland; and the Adrian Brinkerhoff Foundation—will hand out thousands of free books across the city. Events start at 8am and last until the books run out. Stay tuned here to find out exactly where right here.

This year's event is especially notable given the Center's upcoming production of The United States vs Ulysses, a play about the American court case surrounding the publication of James Joyce's Ulysses. Book Day will shine a light on other authors whose works have been banned throughout history, including Edna O'Brien and Samuel Beckett, alongside titles by some of other Irish, Irish American, and NYC writers.

This event promises six-hours of non-stop fun featuring 40 different musical and dance acts from America and Ireland. Stop by the New York Irish Center in Queens anytime from 3-9pm on Monday, March 17 to see a variety of local and international performers at this cultural marathon.  

Performers include: Darrah Carr Dance; Donie Carroll & Mo O’Connor; Sinéad O'Brien; Bronagh and Bob Batch; Tim Connell; Lowri Davies; Mollie Downes; Gigi Eugenie; Connor Delves; JigGig; John McDermott; Susan McKeown; Trisha McManus & the McManus School of Irish Dance; Madalyn Monaghan; Tara O'Grady & Sean Brennan; and Fiona Walsh.

If the idea of crushing green beers and getting sloshed by noon sounds less than appealing, Third Place Bar has just the thing. 

New York's favorite non-alcoholic pop-up bar, Third Place Bar is hosting sober Saint Patrick's Day on March 17. Held at the East Village's only sober dive, Hekate Café & Elixir Lounge, the pop-up is celebrating the booziest day of the year, without all that pesky booze. The evening celebration welcomes all imbibers, sober and sober curious, over pints of non-alcoholic Guinness, booze-free hot toddies and Irish coffee and more. It is Saint Patrick's Day after all, so wear your finest green attire and mix and mingle over conversation starter cards, secret notes and a bedazzle station. 

The house in Bay Ridge looks to be fit for a leprechaun. Illuminated shamrocks decorate the windows, green lights cover the trees out front, and a Happy St. Patrick’s day sign greets visitors on the sidewalk. If you look closely enough, you might even notice a pot of gold.

Find Bay Ridge Holiday House at 635 79th Street, about a 10-minute walk from the R train. You’re allowed to take photos of the house, but (and we hope this is obvious) don't take the stuff. Remember that you’re in a residential area, so please be respectful to the neighborhood. The St. Patrick’s display will be up through March 17, then it will be taken down to prepare for the next display.

Don't want to brave the crowds at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade? You can still have a festive and family-friendly celebration at the Children's Museum of Manhattan, which will play host to St. Paddy's-themed programming all weekend long ahead of the holiday.

On Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 16, celebrate Irish culture by exploring the native plants that gave the Emerald Isle its signature green lushness, creating your own coffee-filter blooms inspired by the shamrock, taking part in an Irish stepdance demonstration with McManus Irish Dance, learning words in the Irish language and more.

If St. Patrick’s Day celebrations have expanded well beyond the Irish, who says we can’t extend it to canine revelers, too? You and your furry friends can celebrate the March holiday at the AKC Museum of the Dog, which will have a month full of Irish-themed programming for all ages and breeds, including the museum’s newest exhibit, The Irish Breeds, spotlighting pups like the Irish Wolfhound, Irish Terrier and Irish Wed and White Setter.

The latter type will gets its own Breed Spotlight on Sunday, March 16th from noon to 2pm, where you can learn about the breed’s history, its high-spirited characteristics and even meet a sweet Setter in person, all free with general admission.

This booze-free, family-friendly celebration intends to "reclaim the day" with Irish music, dance, storytelling and literature. The Sober Saint Patrick's Day celebration begins at 5pm on Monday, March 17 at Church of Our Saviour (59 Park Ave. on the eastern side of Manhattan).  

All are invited to the evening's grand celebration of all things Irish with accordion, fiddle, bagpipe, and piano music. Also see performances by Donny Golden's School of Irish Dance and magic tricks by Mark Mitton.

Tickets ($37.50/adult) also include refreshments and a buffet dinner.

Glugging down pints of Guinness shouldn't be reserved solely for St. Patrick's Day, but we understand the craving will be strong on March 17. After the infamous parade, bask in the Celtic atmosphere at some of the city's best traditional Gaelic taverns.

Our list of Irish pubs offer combo of cocktails, some of the best beer in the city and plenty of Irish coffees inspired by the Emerald Isle. Toast to drinking like the Irish! 

This event keeps the St. Patrick's fun going well after March 17. If your mastery of the Irish language doesn’t go much past proclaiming “Sláinte!” after ordering a Guinness (guilty!), you can have a crash course in the beautiful dialect as part of the St. Patrick’s Day programming at the Irish Arts Center.

Held on Saturday, March 29 from noon to 6pm, this year’s Féile na Gaeilge—the IAC’s annual bilingual event open to speakers of all levels, including absolute beginners and those simply curious about Irish cultural heritage—will focus on the music of Ireland’s past, and what it can tell us about the present. Traditional musician, academic and television presenter Doireann Ní Ghlacáin will join for a full day of workshops, performances, conversation circles and film, including a screening of Seán Ó Riada—Mo Sheanathair, a documentary about her grandfather, the iconic composer and arranger Seán Ó Riada.

Ginger's Bar has been a staple of queer Brooklyn for a quarter of a century now, and the beloved lesbian bar is gearing up to throw a massive rager for St. Patrick's Day weekend from March 14 until March 16.

In an Instagram post announcing back-to-back events and parties, the bar mentioned the current threats to queer rights and their desire to create a space for "queer joy, resistance, community and love."

For its 25th anniversary, Ginger's will have live Irish music, DJ sets, Irish dancing and special guest appearances from Ireland itself. Limited tickets will be available at the door, but your safest bet is to get presale tickets to all of these events, which you can find here.

Irish restaurants shouldn't get overshadowed by Irish pubs—head to these spots for Guinness cheese, pub sausage and mash