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Top o’ the list for St. Patrick’s Day travel:

hluter
Explorer C

If you love the color green, Irish culture, or just an excuse to enjoy a cold Guinness, then you’ve probably been anticipating this weekend’s beloved holiday. St. Patrick’s Day weekend is packed with potential for parades, parties, and pretending like your name is Paddy O'Callaghan. If you’re wondering how to celebrate, we’ve got you covered. We asked some of our Employees to give us tips on celebrating St. Patty’s Day in their cities. Pick any one of them for a weekend full of shameless shenanigans. 

Las Vegas:

Although you never need an excuse to celebrate in Vegas, St. Patty’s Day festivities are taking over Sin City.

We happen to have a St. Patrick’s Day guru among our ranks: Brian Czaja, a Flight Attendant Supervisor, has the low-down on Las Vegas celebrations. Brian recommends checking out Nine Fine Irishmen at New York-New York Hotel & Casino. “Last year they had the full get-up with bag pipe players, an Irish history reading, live music and drink specials,” Brian said. “A group of Employees and I have gone the past eight years—kilts and all.”

New York-New York is hosting the Celtic Feis St. Patrick’s Day Festival which includes a parade on Friday and live music all weekend long. This incredibly Irish affair requires tickets, but keep your alans on—tickets are still on sale and include a free Guinness or Jameson.

“These pubs are authentic because they were taken apart in Ireland and brought over here,” Brian said. “The Rí Rá Irish Pub opened a couple of years ago and always has great music.” This weekend, Rí Rá is hosting the Gallowglass Band on Friday night, and is broadcasting rugby on Saturday.

If you’ve got snappers (children) with ya, Brian suggests the Henderson parade for more family-oriented festivities (admission is free!).

Chicago:

Chicago is going green for St. Patty’s Day—literally. The city will continue its long-time tradition of dyeing its river shamrock green this Saturday. Lovers of all things naturally green, don’t fret—the city will assure you that the emerald formula is environmentally friendly. Following the dyeing will be the city’s annual downtown parade.

Station Administrator Annalisa Muñoz says, “I love Chicago because no matter where you are from, on St. Patty’s Day, we ALL celebrate like we are Irish!” Some Chicago Employees will be seeing the famous Irish band Gaelic Storm at the House of Blues in Chicago this Saturday.

If you’re looking for something new, stop by Brewstone for its Chicago location’s opening weekend. We hear the pub fare is delicious.

Chicago means serious business when it comes to St. Pat’s. So serious, in fact, that it has recently launched a campaign to claim the title as the official U.S. headquarters for St. Patrick’s Day. If you think the windy city is worthy of the Celtic crown, you can vote for it here.

Baltimore:

Nothing puts a city in a good mood like a major football victory. Baltimore is still celebrating its new title as defending champion of the NFL. Ravens fan or not, this city is a perfect place to spend St. Patrick’s Day. According to our BWI Station Administrator Spike Balagot, Downtown Baltimore is a pot o’ gold for great food and pubs. And if you need a break from Irish fare, have some of the city’s famous crab cakes.

Spike assures us, “The streets are clean, lots of parking, and hotels are always a block or two away! Traffic? No problem! There are many ways to get around, including the Light Rail.”

Spike also suggests hanging out at the Harbor. Get in the spirit with a St. Patty’s Day Cruise around Boston Harbor aboard the Vessel Belle.

For a very Irish experience, check out Slainte. This personality-packed sports bar takes St. Patty’s Day very seriously. It’s currently hosting its “17 Days of St. Patrick’s Day” ongoing event, which will feature beer and whiskey tastings, Irish trivia and live music.

St. Louis:

St. Louis isn’t exactly Ireland, but it’s got a surprising amount of green space for a city, and that arch could slightly resemble a rainbow, right? That may be a wee bit of a stretch, but to say that St. Louis makes for a great St. Patty’s Day destination is not.

Mike Abernathy, Station Administrator, has the St. Patty’s Day scoop for St. Louis: “The Dogtown Celebration is always on the day of St. Patrick’s Day. Even if it falls on a weekday, the 75,000 or so revelers skip work to celebrate.  Now, on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, Downtown St. Louis has its Ancient Order of Hibernians’ Dogtown St. Patrick’s Day Parade and celebration (200,000 plus come out for this one).  My family has participated in the Annual Dogtown Neighborhood St. Patty’s Day Parade for the past two decades, and it’s always a blast. Remember we are the home of Budweiser, the King of Beer!”

Dallas:

Dallas—our home-base—is near and dear to our hearts for a number of reasons. Contrary to Texas stereotypes, we don’t ride horses to Headquarters. Dallas hits the jackpot for trendy shopping, friendly people and delicious food. Believe it or not, Dallas now has more restaurants per capita than New York! Trinity Hall Irish Pub & Restaurant is a local favorite, and will open early on Saturday for soccer, rugby, and live music.

What better place to celebrate the green holiday than on Greenville Avenue? The Dallas St. Patrick’s Parade and Festival has become the main attraction on St. Patty’s weekend in the Big D. Grab your green garb and make your way to Upper Greenville on Saturday to join in on the shenanigans. The parade is completely free and includes a block party full of Irish food, libations and live music. Parade crowds get pretty hectic, so I’ll reiterate what Carrie Kenrick from Network Planning has told me: “Just wear green and use public transportation!”

 If you’re not too full (of food, of course) to stand up, check out the Dallas Observer after-party featuring DJ BL3nd at the House of Blues. 

1 Comment
jeannen
Explorer C
Do you have results of where people actually traveled to most on this St. Patty's Day 2013?