This City Is Home to One of the Largest and Oldest St. Patrick’s Day Parades in the U.S.—and No, It’s Not Boston or Chicago

• Savannah, Georgia, is home to the second-largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the U.S.
• Founded in 1824, the event is now 201 years old.
• During the parade, you can expect emerald-colored beer, marching bands, and fountains flowing with green water.

When people think of St. Patrick’s Day parades in the United States, places like New York City, Boston, or Chicago usually come to mind. And while New York City has the largest and oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the country (it was established in 1762), the second largest belongs to a city much smaller in size: Savannah.

The Hostess City of the South celebrated its first St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1824 and has continued to do so every March 17 for the past 201 years. Not only is the parade one of the oldest and largest in the country, but it’s also the biggest celebration of its kind in the South and a source of local pride.

The history of St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Savannah predates Georgia itself. Irish people first began arriving in the Savannah area during the early 18th century, and soon became a hub of Irish immigration. In the early 1800s, wealthy Irish residents formed the Hibernian Society of Savannah to help newly arrived Irish immigrants get their feet on the ground in their new country. The story goes that on March 17, 1824, the then-president of the Hibernian Society encouraged Savannah residents to join him on a walk to hear a speech by a visiting bishop. That walk turned into a parade, and thus, the very first Savannah St. Patrick’s Day parade was born.

Although the modern-day parade is a secular affair, there is always preparade Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, where pews are filled with parishioners dressed in green. The parade then begins at the Basilica, runs through Savannah’s historic district, and ends near Forsyth Park.

During the event, visitors can expect marching bands, horses, and floats sponsored by local Irish groups and families. The city’s famous fountains will flow green, and plenty of emerald-colored beer will be available throughout the city. For those traveling to Savannah specifically for the occasion, the year-old Hotel Bardo is as close to the parade’s final stop as you can get. Alternatively, the Perry Lane Hotel, as well as the brand-new, Ann Savannah, will put you in the heart of the merrymaking.