Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parties, Bar Crawls, and Events
Whether you want to drink a Big Beer, watch an Irish-themed movie, or send a kid on a Leprechaun hunt, we’ve got you covered.
The new St. Patrick’s Day-themed bar Green Elephant in Center City is just one Philadelphia spot to celebrate. / Photograph by Cody Aldrich
Just a heads up: It’s going to be St. Patrick’s Day every day for the foreseeable future around here. There will be music and greenery. There will be beer and shenanigans. But most of all, St. Paddy’s is what you make it. So before you make your plans, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page:
1. Have fun out there.
2. But maybe don’t do it in such a way that brings an inordinate amount of shame on this city, its people, or the people of Ireland and their God/sun-fearing descendants? YouTube is watching. The cops are watching. The city’s most irritable op-ed columnists are watching. Behave yourself. A little. If you think of it.
3. And take care of each other.
4. If you’re a Pub Crawl Person, please note that it probably doesn’t matter which crawl you choose. We’ve listed a few options below, but be advised that they’re all cheap and most of them go to the same pubs, or ones just like it. The swag is all basically the same, too: beads, shirts, plastic mugs that will outlast the reign of man on this planet, etc. Go with your gut.
5. Read the room. That’s all we’re asking. If you enter a bar and can’t decide who the drunkest, loudest, most ignorant bro is, keep looking. No way it’s you.
6. Pee indoors, in a bathroom if possible.
7. Keep it classy-ish during the parade. Not everybody looks at this holiday as an excuse to misbehave. Some people are under the impression it’s a holy time of reflection and/or a celebration of culture.
8. That said: If you go downtown and see some wild shit going on, you’re not allowed to complain about it. You went to Center City Philadelphia during the traditional Multi-Weekend St. Paddy’s Day Maelstrom. That’s on you. (Also: That’s spit-up beer on you.)
The Parade
St. Patrick’s Day Parade / Photograph by R. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The parade is this holiday’s main event, a chance to watch cars and floats and children with shamrocks on their cheeks come marching down Market Street. Hear them play music. See them wave, and wave back. It’s a nice time. Here’s the very simple parade route.
Okay, so: Couple notes on this year specifically:
a) Despite St. Paddy’s Day actually occurring on a Sunday in 2024, they’re still doing the parade on the Sunday before. It’s a tradition at this point. Also, March 10th is the day we’re supposed to move our clocks ahead one hour. This is a lot to remember, time-wise.
St. Patrick, himself, in the parade / Photograph by Laura Swartz
b) This year’s parade theme is “St. Patrick, Bless Philadelphia with a New Dawn of Hope,” which really hammers home the religious aspect of the holiday while, perhaps, shaming onlookers into drinking in moderation. (This is merely based on my perspective as a half-Irish guilt-wracked lapsed Catholic. Yes, Mom, I’m wearing green.)
Free, March 10th, 11 a.m., starts at 11 a.m. at 16th and JFK Boulevard, goes clockwise around City Hall then down Market, ends at 6th and Market streets. (Or watch it on Philly 57.)
Parties & People-Watching
Drinks at the new St. Patrick’s Day bar Green Elephant / Photograph by Cody Aldrich
Green Elephant
The endlessly adaptable restaurant space at 15th and Locust — previously done up in pink for St. Valentine’s Day and also pink for the holiday-themed White Elephant — has once again undergone a seasonal glow-up. Now decked out in glittery green and sporting a selfie station and a festive drink menu, Green Elephant is already in a full Irish swing. Better act fast; no end date has been announced, but this place will probably be an Easter/spring equinox bar before you know it.
Pay as you go, Green Elephant, 1500 Locust Street.
St. Paddy’s Day Block Party @ Evil Genius
Olde Kensington’s Evil Genius welcomes revelers to its laboratory for a big outdoor, kid-and-pet friendly shindig featuring an inflatable Irish pub, pizza cones by Chank’s, live music by the Lenahan Band, face painting, etc. They’ve also got a brand-new, cereal-inspired beer called “Magically Delicious.” It’s made with Lucky Charms and dyed green for good measure.
Pay as you go, March 9th, noon-6 p.m., Evil Genius Beer Co., 1727 Front Street.
Pre-St. Patrick’s Day Irish Festival @ Northeast Philly
“Everyone is Irish in March,” says the invite, and perhaps it’s weird little claims like this that make Ancestry.com so expensive. But we appreciate the sentiment. Head up to an American Legion Post in the vicinity of Torresdale and Decatur for a family-friendly fest featuring Irish dancing and music by Shawn Ryan, Nothing 2 Prove and DJ Noodles. Plus food from Al’s Corner Deli, cornhole and face-painting. (Always face-painting; let no face be unpainted.)
Pay as you go, March 10th, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Oxley 133 Auxiliiary, 7900 Torresdale Avenue.
Bartending 101: Irish Whiskey Cocktails @ City Winery
CW’s in-house drink specialist teaches you three drink recipes, all tools provided. And of course you get to drink what you make.
$50, March 12th, 6:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
A St. Paddy’s Nightmare @ Lincoln Mill Haunted House
I love that we just have this haunted house in Manayunk that mostly lays dormant between Halloweens, but then suddenly pops up in costume for one-off holiday haunts. What does a “St. Paddy’s Day themed Haunted House” entail? No idea. Sounds fun though. (Free idea for the Lincoln Mill people: Do a Philly sports theme sometime. This city’s got a lot of nightmares to draw on.)
$32, March 16th, 7:30-9 p.m., Lincoln Mill Haunted House, 4100 Main Street.
St. Patrick’s @ Victory Taproom
In addition to $5 Irish beers and an Irish-inflected menu, Victory is offering some sort of green cocktail the ingredients and flavors of which remain a mystery at press time.
Pay as you go, March 16th, 6 p.m., 1776 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
St. Patrick’s Day Event @ SPIN Philly
Play ping-pong with your pals at this Center City table-tennis establishment while sipping green- and gold-themed cocktails, and checking out the themed menu. If you’ve never had a shepherd’s pie spring roll, this is your chance.
$65 for the “all-inclusive party package,” March 11th-16th, SPIN Philly, 211 South 15th Street.
Shamrocks & Shenanigans @ Xfinity Live
If this open-air meat market had a single neighbor, just one person living within a thousand feet of it, it would probably be called a nuisance bar. But Xfinity Live — situated in a level of parking lots and arenas — is much too smart for that. And so they offering drinks and wings and a mechanical bull on a nightly basis, everybody’s presumably having a good time. So what’s different about this weekend? The decorations! Enjoy your green beer and green barf and green pee, you young people who say “woo” and text “idgaf” about small acts of rebellion. There’s a time and a place for everything, and for you it’s Xfinity Live this weekend. Just, ya know, treat each other well.
Pay as you go, March 16th & 17th, opens at noon, drink specials start at 4 p.m., Xfinity Live, 1100 Pattison Avenue.
McGillin’s on St. Patrick’s Day / Photograph courtesy of McGillin’s Olde Ale House
St. Patrick’s Day @ McGillin’s
The always-Irish-themed Center City bar has had an appropriately Celt-ish food and drink menu all month long, but things get extra festive on the big day. Cocktails include the Galway Girl, the Nutty Irishman Coffee and the Irish Potato Martini (good lord, why do I want one so bad?.)
$5 cover, March 17th, opens 10 a.m., McGillin’s Old Ale House, 1310 Drury Street.
St. Patrick’s Day @ Fadó
Look, we’re not going to shout out every bar that tapes a shamrocks to its door this weekend, but Fadó is Irish 24-7. On the big day they’re hosting a brunch and, later, live music by 52 Pickup and Late Night Band, and we think you’ll have a nice time.
$20 cover (after 2 p.m.), March 17th, Fadó Irish Pub, 1500 Locust Street.
St. Patty’s Day Weekend @ Thirsty Dice
Fairmount’s “board game café” gets into the spirit with drinks like The Boozy Shillelagh, food like corned beef and cabbage empanadas, and several holiday appropriate gaming options.
Pay as you go, March 16th & 17th, Thirsty Dice, 1642 Fairmount Avenue.
Celebrate the Green @ Peddler’s Village
Festivities include the Whiskeys of the World dinner (March 15th), Find the Pots of Gold scavenger hunt for the kids (March 16th & 17th), and the Shake Your Shamrock Fun Run (March 17th). Also, there’s a place there that sells interesting jerky.
Pay as you go, March 15th-17th, Peddler’s Village, 2400 Street Road, New Hope.
Shrek Trivia @ City Winery
Not sure why we put this on the list. I mean, Shrek was Scottish for some reason? And green? Call it Irish-adjacent. Hosted By Kirsten Michelle Cills and Kaitlin Pagliaro.
Pay as you go., March 19th, 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
The Great Narberth Leprechaun Hunt @ Narberth
This family-friendly scavenger hunt has kids collecting gold coins and winning prizes. What do you win if you actually catch a Leprechaun? Arrested, probably. Let him go.
Free, March 16th, 1-4 p.m., starts at the Blarney Booth at Haverford and Forrest avenues.
Performances
Yes, there will be Mummers at the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, listed above. / Photograph by Laura Swartz
John Byrne @ World Cafe Live
The Dublin-born Philadelphian John Byrne plays acoustic folk songs full of characters and classic troubadour vibes. Celtic rockers No Irish Need Apply open the show.
$20, March 9th, 8 p.m., World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street.
Kevin McCloskey @ Fergie’s
The Philly singer-songwriter plays traditional Irish ballads. Fergie’s keeps it classy this time of year.
Pay as you go, March 10th, 7 p.m., Fergie’s Pub, 1214 Sansom Street.
Gene Shay/Founders’ Award Benefit Concert @ Colonial Theater
It’s not precisely an Irish thing, but this benefit for the Philadelphia Folksong Society (certainly Celtic-music friendly) — featuring music by NYC singer-songwriter Christine Lavin, along with Philly folkies John Flynn and Emily Drinker — will be a good time regardless.
$100-$250, March 12th, 6 p.m., Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville.
Seamus Egan @ City Winery
The longtime Philadelphian is known for his Irish/Americana sound, both solo and with Solas — and for co-writing Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You.” More about Seamus Egan here.
$25-$40, March 15th, 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
Irish entertainment @ Sellersville Theater
Lots of good reasons to wear green and make the drive to Sellersville right now. In addition to their St. Patrick’s Day dinner specials on March 16th and 17th, Sellersville Theater’s concert space is packed. Here’s the lineup.
- Enter The Haggis — Irreverent Canadian-Celtic rock band famous for their bagpipe and fiddle prowess. $29.50, March 10th, 8 p.m.
- The Nashville Celts — Is there anything better than a singing fiddler? That was rhetorical, wiseass. $33-$50, March 12th, 8 p.m.
- Glengarry Bhoys — Upbeat alt-Celt music from Eastern Ontario’s mythical Scots-French-Canadian enclave. Beer is for closers. $29.50-$49.50, March 16th, 8 p.m.
- Barleyjuice’s St. Patrick’s Day Party — Celtic rock and roots. And the juice of the barley for me. $20-$25, March 17th, 8 p.m.
Sellersville Theater, 24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville.
Belfast Connection @ Kennett Flash
The Philly-based Irish duo plays “classic drinking tunes, Celtic folk standards, and modern folk jigs” at the Flash’s St. Paddy’s party. Kennett Square’s not too far to drive on a pretty March night.
$15-$20, March 15th, 8 p.m., Kennett Flash, 102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square.
Bar Dust — A Tribute to the Pogues
Raise a glass. This is the first St. Patrick’s day without Shane. Also on the bill: The Wild Ones as Thin Lizzy.
$15, March 16th, 9 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 North Frankford Avenue.
All Irish Comedy Tour @ Helium
Jokes told by actual born-in-Ireland Irish comedians Mick Thomas and Sean Finnerty. $22-$30, March 16th, 4 p.m., Helium, 2031 Sansom Street.
Rakish @ World Cafe Live
This dashing fiddle-guitar duo takes its names from the traditional Irish song “Rakish Paddy.” Give ’em a listen.
$20, March 21st, 8:30 p.m., World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street.
Gaelic Storm & the High Kings @ Keswick Theatre
A coupla hard-touring Celtic/country/bluegrass bands come to Glenside for a late March concert.
$39.50-$75, March 29th, 8 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside.
Pukeportunities, a.k.a. Bar Crawls
You’ve got your pick of Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day bar crawls. / Photograph courtesy of Getty Images.
Kiss Me, I’m Irish St. Patrick’s Bar Crawl
This “epic three-day bar crawl” includes stops at Hard Rock Cafe, Bru Craft & Wurst, City Tap House and more. The Hard Rock on St. Paddy’s Day, you wonder aloud. Yep! They’ve got some themed cocktails like the Irish Apple Crush and food like Pub Cheese Crudite. And you don’t need to be on a pub crawl to do this.
$20, March 15th-17th, 6 p.m.
St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl Philadelphia and Erin Express
The “legendary” crawl offers drink discounts at a huge list of Center City bars, including all three Misconduct locations, Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse, Devil’s Alley, Kick Axe and lots more. Participants will also be decked out in special beads and t-shirts, which should make them easier to spot from a distance.
$20, March 16th & 17th, noon-8 p.m.
Lucky’s St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl
Tickets get you some starters drinks/shots, plus food and drink deals at participating bars like Drinker’s Pub, Finn Mccools Ale House and Howl at the Moon — which promises green Miller Lights, Lucky Charm Shots and Blarney Bombs. No idea. Ask the bartender.
$25-$30, March 16th, 4 p.m.-midnight.
The Shamrock Crawl
A wristband gets you into a crawl that’s all over the map, from South Street to Manayunk including Ladder 15, Raven Lounge, Woolly Mammoth, Hilltown Tavern and lots more.
$10-$50, March 16th & 17th.
