Growing up in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs has certainly been a blessing to me. Throw on top of it, that I am 100% Irish. Obviously, my favorite holiday is St. Paddy’s Day. What else would it be? And yes, it is Paddy, not Patty for all the new be’s. St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago isn’t like any other day of the year that’s for sure.
If you didn’t already know it, Chicago has a very large Irish population. It was a major city for the original immigrants coming from Ireland to live in the 40’s. Because of this, the city is full of the kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids of these families. And Irish families usually have a ton of kids, so there are a whole lot of us out there. Whether you’re from the North, West, or South Side your pride for being Irish in Chicago is larger than life. St. Patrick’s Day is when you show it at great lengths.
So why is Chicago the best city for this joyous holiday you ask? Well, there is just too much to do all weekend long for it not to be fun. We’ve got the dyeing of the Chicago River to start the festivities off. It’s a classic tradition only Chicago does. Then, head down to the Parade in Grant Park. There will be a sea of green for as far as you can see. If you want the full experience, take the "L" to get there. That’s where the most action happens. Everyone wants to be your friend. Just watch out for the high schoolers who have had one too many.
If you want to keep the weekend going, head over to the Northwest Side or the South Side Parade on Sunday. Either one is a good time. A bit more low key than the one downtown. But, still a fun. Then, we have all of the bar crawls going on this weekend. The Shamrock Bar Crawl in Wrigley is one of the biggest ones. But, really every bar is going to have a party for Paddy's Day. If you’re more into the family and friends events go to "The Irish American Heritage Center" for entertainment two weekends in a row. Whatever you end up doing will be a good time for sure.
The Irish pride in Chicago is said to be bigger than that in Ireland. The festivities in Chicago are much bigger than in the motherland. So get downtown! There is way too much to do and happy people to meet on such a holiday to stay home. Have fun, celebrate the joy of being Irish. Everyone is on St. Patrick's Day! Celebrate being from such a city that this type of party even exists. Sure Boston and New York are great but Chicago is the place you wanna be in America on St. Patrick's Day. The greatest city in the world.
