Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the annual parade in Southie

The yearly bash takes place on March 17 itself this year.

The South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade in 2023. Photo by Maia Kennedy Photography

1 minute to read

The annual St. Patrick’s Day parade returns to South Boston this year on March 17 — typically held the Sunday closest St. Pat’s Day, the parade is on the actual holiday this year. Presented by the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, the parade starts at 1 p.m. and follows its traditional 3-mile route from the Broadway T stop, down Broadway, and then back to the Andrew T stop.

This year’s chief marshall is Gerard (Jerry) Wheeler, who grew up in Boston and served in the U.S. Navy for 44 years, including 22 years on active duty. Other weekend festivities in Southie to celebrate the holiday include the chief marshall banquet, the South Boston Citizens’ Association, and the Mayor of Southie Contest, which resident Greg Lally won last year.

Also known as the Evacuation Day parade, the St. Pat’s Day parade in its current Southie iteration has taken place since 1901. But Boston’s history with the holiday goes back further than that — on March 17, 1737, Boston’s Irish immigrants began celebrating the holiday with banquets and parades. Last year, WalletHub called Boston the top city in the country to visit for St. Patrick’s Day.

The parade has historically attracted up to a million visitors, so organizers strongly recommend taking public transit to the area. The T typically runs rush hour service all day, while trains may bypass Andrew or Broadway if crowds get too large. Buses cease stopping at Andrew and Broadway by 9:45 a.m., and other area buses may be detoured. A free shuttle will run between South Station and E 1st Street.