Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parties, Bar Crawls, and Events
Whether you want to drink around town, watch an Irish band, or send a kid on a leprechaun hunt, we’ve got you covered.
St. Patrick, himself, in the parade / Photograph by Laura Swartz
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called St. Patrick’s Day Weekend. It is a time of pastoral beauty and unholy chaos, of great celebration always threatening to tip into great shame. And, as a half-Irishman, I am approximately fifty percent obligated to implore you in a scolding tone: Please behave yourselves on this my namesake holiday.
The Parade
St. Patrick’s Day Parade / Photograph by R. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia
Founded in 1771, our hometown St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the oldest of its kind in the United States, and very much means something to those who cherish their Irish heritage, like my mom. Long ago, she and my dad would bundle us kids up in multiple green layers and drag us out to Broad Street to take in the floats, the cheery marchers, the ruddy-cheeked dancers and those delightfully complicated Celtic tunes. I also recall watching dudes in Starter jackets chugging cheap beer through bent plastic vuvuzelas. (It was the ’80s, before laws were invented.)
These days, the parade is a classy affair. For one thing, it’s on Market Street. For another, it’s totally family-friendly. According to the official website — and let us raise a glass to the absolute audacity of them snatching up PhillyParade.com — Sunday’s festivities start with a Mass at St. Patrick’s Church (at 20th and Locust streets) before making the long march to Independence Mall. This year’s theme is “250 Years of Irish Contributions to America.” Expect pipes, kilts, intricate stepping, and good vibes from glen to glen. Take your mum or whoever raised ya, and then go out for brunch.
Free, March 15th, noon to 3 p.m., Market Street (here’s the official map of the parade route, charmingly annotated by hand); the whole thing will be broadcast live on Philly 57.
Eat, Drink, Do
The Weir @ Plays & Players
Irish Heritage Theater presents Conor McPherson’s witty and suspenseful play about Irish pub patrons swapping spooky stories. Directed by Peggy Meehan. $25, March 13th-29th, Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Place.
St. Paddy unWINED Weekend @ Shady Brook Farm
Yardley’s lovely and rustic Shady Brook Farm hosts three days of local wines, beer, themed cocktails, corned beef, shepherd’s pie, fire pits, live music, dancing, and more. $12, March 13th-15th, Shady Brook Farm, 931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley.
Shamrocks & Shenanigans @ Stateside Live
An all-night rager at the chunderdome formerly known as Xfinity Live, with a soundtrack provided by producer/DJ Austin Millz. $12.46, March 14th, 10 a.m., 1100 Pattison Avenue.
The Great Narberth Leprechaun Hunt
This family-friendly scavenger hunt has kids running around Narberth collecting gold coins and winning prizes. What do you get if you actually catch a leprechaun? Arrested, probably. Let him go. Free, March 14th, 1-4 p.m., starts at the Blarney Booth at Haverford and Forrest avenues.
St. Patrick’s Day Weekend @ Elmwood Park Zoo
Norristown’s top zoo hosts live music, animal encounters, a scavenger hunt, and specialty drinks in the Zoo Brew beer garden. $15-$27, March 14th & 15th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown.
Stouts and Snouts @ Fishtown
Why? Because it rhymes. Stroll around the neighborhood sipping stouts and “snout-inspired cocktails including Irish whiskey creations with a fun, pork-forward twist” at participating bars and restaurants in Fishtown. While you’re there, ask about meaty specials (or fake-meaty specials, if you’re not feeling pork-forward). Pay as you go, March 15th, 10:30 a.m.-closing, multiple locations in Fishtown.
Rhythm of the Dance @ the Keswick,
The National Dance Company of Ireland is known for their big, bold live shows full of “everything Irish dance has evolved into, from its roots in ‘Sean Nos’ (meaning old-style), to the militant, clean, modern style we see on stage today.” $52-$98, March 15th, 7 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside.
Plays & Players Hosts a Hooley
This all-ages St. Paddy’s party promises corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, step-dancing with Nick Schwasman, live music by the Pie-Eyed Preachers, cash bar, and kid stuff. An annual tradition. $23.18, March 15th, 3-8 p.m., Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Place.
Ukie Club Pig Roast for St. Patty’s Day
Ukrainians love Saint Patrick, everybody knows this. So head on down to Ukrainian American Citizens’ Association for beer, Esposito’s porchetta, desserts, and more. $25, March 15th, 2 p.m., Ukie Club, 847 North Franklin Street.
Craft & Sip @ Evil Genius of Fishtown
Sip beer and learn how to make custom St. Paddy’s keychains. (Evil Genius is also hosting drink specials on the 17th and a Get Lucky Burlesque on the 20th.)
$50, March 16th, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Evil Genius Beer Company, 1727 North Front Street.
St. Patrick’s Day @ McGillin’s
A tradition over a century old, McGillin’s annual St. Paddy’s party is a reliable spot for “green beer and green cheer.” March 17th, opens 10 a.m., McGillin’s Old Ale House, 1310 Drury Street.
Can’t Forget About You @ The Drake
Inis Nua stages David Ireland’s play billed as “both a spicy rom-com and a sharply insightful look at generational conflict in post-Troubles Belfast.” Directed by Kathryn MacMillan. $22, March 18th-April 5th, Proscenium Theatre at the Drake, 302 South Hicks Street.
Music
The High Kings, Dublin-based folk act of some renown. $52-$157, March 12th, 7 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside.
The Galway Girls: A Celtic Celebration, The charming Irish ensemble plays tunes from the traditional to the Cranberries in a dinner-theater setting. $95, March 13th-17th, Cock & Bull Restaurant, Peddler’s Village, 2400 Street Road, New Hope.
Cherish The Ladies, Led by the charming and talented flute/whistle player Joanie Madden, Cherish the Ladies has been making Irish eyes smile for 40 years with music, dancing and storytelling. Guaranteed good vibes. $36-$66, March 12th, 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
Haggis X-1, Celtic rock by the people who brought you Enter the Haggis. $30-$42, March 14th, 6 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
Fergie’s Pub Saturday Session, Darin Kelly, Brendan Callahan, and friends host an upbeat Irish jam every Saturday at Fergie’s. Free, March 14th, 4-7 p.m., Fergie’s Pub, 1214 Sansom Street.
Paddy’s Playground, Live music by Lecompt, Gypsy Wisdom, and Richie Baker Band; food by Phillip’s Steaks. $19, March 14th, noon, the Ave Live., 520 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard.
My Druthers, the New England ensemble performs “Rebel songs of Ireland & the Sea.” Free, March 14th, 7 p.m., March 14th, Kildare’s Irish Pub, 18 West Gay Street, West Chester.
Belfast Connection, The Irish folk duo plays “classic drinking tunes, Celtic folk standards, and modern folk jigs.” $20-$23, March 15th, 7 p.m., Kennett Flash, 102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square.
Irish Traditional Music, Old City’s Plough and the Stars hosts lovely Irish jams every Sunday (4-8 p.m.) and Tuesday (7-10 p.m.). Free, Plough and the Stars, 123 Chestnut Street.
Kevin McCloskey’s Irish Ballad Session, Put a tear in your beer. Free, March 15th, 4-7 p.m., Fergie’s Pub, 1214 Sansom Street.
Celtic Woman, The all-female Irish ensemble plays a mix of folk, new age and Celtic music that straddles the line between traditional and spooky. $69-$211, March 17th, 7 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside.
John Byrne, The Dublin-born Philadelphian plays acoustic folk songs full of characters and classic troubadour vibes. Free, March 17th, 7-10 p.m., The Fairview, 601 North 21st Street.
Glen Hansard, This intimate show by the beloved Irish singer-songwriter and actor of The Frames and Once fame is already sold out. It’s worth looking at the secondary market considering Hansard rarely plays rooms this small. Sold out, April 6th, 8 p.m., First Unitarian Church Sanctuary, 2125 Chestnut Street.
Pub Crawls
Okay, fine. You wish to get drunk and be drunk for a long time. Just remember, everything you do this weekend will be under the watchful gaze of an unforgetting and unforgiving holy trinity: YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. They are waiting for you to do something stupid and gross in public. And of course, it’s extra shameful to barf on a police horse or fight a car while sporting a glittery shamrock on your cheek. Amen.
So go forth, third-generation Seans and Shawnas! Don your sunblock, slip on your least scuffed Claddagh ring, and pull on your Eagles hoodie with the smallest logo. Take to the streets, for this is your special little day!
Here are some crawl options. Choose the one that fits your personality. They’re all the same.
- Erin Express Center City, March 14th.
- Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Weekend Bar Crawl 2026 Center City, March 14th.
- Kiss Me, I’m Irish: Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl Center City, March 14th & 15th.
- Irish You Were Beer A Post–St. Patrick’s Day Daytime Bus Crawl Bensalem, March 21st.
