The Best Boston St Patrick's Day Events for 2024

This annual parade will hit the streets of South Boston once more. Massive crowds, day drinking and Irish-American history will all be on full display. If you don't have a friend who lives on the route and can provide refuge (and beverage) as the floats pass by, you can always watch the spectacle from the hills of Medal of Honor Park. It’s the perfect start to a day of bar-hopping and celebrating our city's rich Irish heritage.

Boston’s very own Celtic punk rock group, the Dropkick Murphys will be holding five concerts in town the week of Saint Patrick’s Day. The first show will be at Citizens House of Blues Boston on March 14, with the rest being held at MGM Music Hall on March 15-17 (there will be two shows on St. Paddy's Day itself). Get your tickets to attend, or watch the livestream of their Live From Boston concert at 9pm on March 17.

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.

In our city, there’s no shortage of Irish pubs just prime for your St. Patrick’s Day festivities. These spots will be packed and pouring pint after pint after pint starting in the wee hours of the morning. As expected with any real pub experience, these bars will also be filled with traditional live music, providing ample entertainment besides just drinking. Keep in mind that some of these places require patrons to purchase tickets beforehand, so be sure to check and snag a spot ahead of time. (And if you’re headed to a place with general admission, show up at the door super early, otherwise you’ll have to endure an almost impossible wait to get in). 

For a better understanding of Boston’s Irish ties, take this self-guided, three-mile walk through 20 historically significant sites around town. The tour highlights the contributions of local Irish-Americans both famous (JFK) and infamous (James Curley, Boston’s longtime mayor and the inspiration for The Last Hurrah). If you have time, you can also make a point to visit some or all of the 50 Irish landmarks scattered throughout the state (Boston’s visitor centers offer a handy map).

Perhaps Ireland's tastiest export comes in a cask, and St. Patrick's Day is definitely the perfect excuse to tap into it. Come March 17, you should raise a glass of Irish whiskey at these Boston bars, where the selections are vast and the likelihood of dealing with hoards of sloppy patrons is on the lower side.