WORCESTER—It’s not clear whether it’s Worcester’s large Irish population or that it just knows how to party, but the city was just named in a new report listing it as among the best to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, the personal finance website WalletHub just released the annual “best cities for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations for 2024” and Worcester clocked in at lucky number seven overall.
Worcester also earned third best in terms of Irish population, thirteenth in the Irish pubs and restaurants per capita category, and fourth for the city’s “access to bars.”
With a score of 61.3, Worcester trailed behind Boston (of course!), Chicago, Savannah, Reno, Pittsburgh and New York, in that order.
“St. Patrick’s Day celebrates the Irish, but it’s become a beloved cultural holiday for millions of Americans regardless of their ancestry,” said Cassandra Happe, WalletHub analyst. “The best cities for St. Patrick’s Day combine rich traditions with tasty and affordable food, safe conditions to celebrate, and good weather. Celebrating in one of these cities will increase your chances of having a memorable holiday, as long as you don’t overdo it.
To determine the best cities for celebrating Irish-American heritage, WalletHub compared 200 of the largest U.S. cities across 15 key metrics, ranging from Irish pubs and restaurants per capita to the lowest price for a three-star hotel on St. Patrick’s Day to the weather forecast.
Worcester’s official St. Patrick’s Day celebration centers around the annual parade, taking place this year on Sunday, March 10, starting at noon at the corner of Park Ave. and Mill Street, and marches up Park Ave. to Highland Ave., usually taking up to two hours to finish. With the inaugural in 1981, this marks the 42nd parade (which missed two years due to Covid).
“That’s pretty amazing, to be one of the top ten,” said Erin Zamarro, chairperson for the 2024 Worcester County St. Patrick’s Parade Committee, “but it’s a testament to the hard work of hundreds of volunteers over the past four decades. Parades are fun, and a way for the community to celebrate. It’s free for everyone to watch, and enjoyable for all age groups. Plus, by March, people are ready to get out of the house and enjoy an outdoor event!”
Roughly 50 committee members work year-round to produce the event, with expenses topping $60,000 this year, explained Zamarro.
“Nonprofit groups march for free, and commercial entries pay a very small fee, and we pay the marching vans and performing groups, such as the Shriners, and stilt walkers,” Zamarro told the Worcester Guardian. “All of our funding comes from sponsorships and donations.”
This year’s highlights include the Shriners on their cycles and performances by the Burncoat High Spirit Team, which just won third place in a national-level competition. Hundreds participate, including the North High basketball team will be there, several area marching bands, with the American Legion riders heading up the parade.
Of course the annual celebration spills from the streets and in and out of the number of bars and restaurants in and around the Park Ave. area, fanning out to the Canal District and Shrewsbury Street. If it’s a place in or around the parade route, chances are it’s got an event, party or specials going on to complement the day.
Here are a few we came across:
- Acoustic duo Two for the Road starts playing at 2 p.m. at the MCL Club, which also welcomes a performance by the McInerney Irish Step Dancers
- The White Eagle, which never shies away from an opportunity to party, is serving up corned beef sandwiches starting at 3 p.m.
- The beer garden, located in and around Husky’s Pub, welcomes performances by bands that include Grade A Fancy
- Bret Talbert’s playing a set or two of tunes with an Irish flavor from 206 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus on Circuit Ave.
- Food trucks will be parked in the lot of Austin Liquors, serving up yummies throughout the parade and after
Have an event to complement the St. Patrick’s Day Parade day celebration? Let us know about it at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org. Visit this page for any updates
