St. Patrick's Day 2026: NYC Parade Is Tuesday, Parades Running All Weekend Nationwide

St. Patrick's Day falls on Tuesday, March 17 this year — and the celebrating started days ago. From Dallas to San Diego, Saturday parades are already underway while New York City, Chicago, and Boston prepare for the main events of the week. Here is everything you need to know about where, when, and how to celebrate.

New York City: The World's Oldest and Largest Parade Is Tuesday

The 265th New York City Saint Patrick's Day Parade will take place along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on Tuesday, March 17, at 11:00 AM.

The parade begins at 44th Street, marching north up Fifth Avenue past St. Patrick's Cathedral at 50th Street all the way to 79th Street. This year's grand marshal is Robert J. McCann, a prominent finance executive and President of the Irish Arts Center's Board of Directors.

The parade will be livestreamed on the St. Patrick's Day Parade website, NBC New York, YouTube, Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Xumo, and PlayCozi.

More than 150,000 people march annually, with upward of 2 million spectators lining the route. Fifth Avenue from 44th to 79th Streets closes completely, with numerous cross-street closures affecting Madison, Park, and Lexington. Take the subway. The 4, 5, and 6 trains stop at Grand Central, 51st, 59th, 68th, 77th, and 86th Streets — providing full route coverage. Get there by 9 a.m. for a front-row curb spot.

Eight hundred Soldiers of the New York Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment — known as the "Fighting 69th" — will lead the parade for the 175th time.

Parades Happening This Weekend

Several major cities held their St. Patrick's Day parade this weekend rather than waiting for Tuesday.

The Dallas St. Patrick's Day Parade on Greenville Avenue attracts more than 120,000 people to a 2-mile stretch and features over 100 floats and tens of thousands of revelers. That parade stepped off today, Saturday March 14 at noon.

Philadelphia's parade is this Sunday, March 15 — with Dan Hilferty, a prominent Philadelphia businessman and Governor of the Flyers, serving as grand marshal.

San Diego's 44th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival in Balboa Park steps off today at 10:30 a.m. — presented by the Irish Congress of Southern California under the theme "Here, There, Irish Culture Everywhere."

The History Behind March 17

New York's parade predates American independence by 14 years, first held in 1762 when Irish soldiers serving in the British Army marched through colonial streets. For 19th-century Irish immigrants facing widespread discrimination, the parade became a public declaration of presence and pride — a defiant energy it still carries today.

Saint Patrick himself was a 5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary who became the patron saint of Ireland. Born around 385 AD, he was captured and enslaved by Irish raiders as a teenager, escaped after six years, trained as a priest, and returned to Ireland to spread Christianity. He died on March 17, 461 AD — the date the world now celebrates.

What to Expect on March 17

The Empire State Building will be illuminated in green on the evening of St. Patrick's Day. Bars citywide open early — many at 8 a.m. — and the Upper East Side remains packed well past midnight.

No alcohol is permitted along the Fifth Avenue parade route, distinguishing New York's parade from most other St. Patrick's Day celebrations globally. The emphasis stays on music, dance, and the cultural traditions of the Irish-American community.

The NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade steps off Tuesday, March 17 at 11 a.m. ET at Fifth Avenue and 44th Street. It is free to attend.