This Georgia Metropolis Is Dwelling to One of many Oldest St. Patrick’s Day within the U.S.

• Savannah, Georgia, is dwelling to the second-largest St. Patrick’s Day parade within the U.S.
• Based in 1824, the occasion is now 201 years outdated.
• Throughout the parade, you’ll be able to count on emerald-colored beer, marching bands, and fountains flowing with inexperienced water.

When individuals consider St. Patrick’s Day parades in the USA, locations like New York Metropolis, Boston, or Chicago normally come to thoughts. And whereas New York Metropolis has the most important and oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade within the nation (established in 1762), the second largest belongs to a metropolis a lot smaller in measurement: Savannah.

The Hostess Metropolis of the South celebrated its first St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1824 and has continued to take action each March 17 for the previous 201 years. Not solely is the parade one of many oldest and largest within the nation, however it’s additionally the largest celebration of its sort within the U.S. South and a supply of native delight.

The historical past of St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Savannah predates Georgia itself. Irish individuals first started arriving within the Savannah space through the early 18th century, quickly turning into a hub of Irish immigration. Within the early 1800s, rich Irish residents shaped the Hibernian Society of Savannah to assist newly arrived Irish immigrants get their toes on the bottom of their new nation. The story goes that on March 17, 1824, the then-president of the Hibernian Society inspired Savannah residents to hitch him on a stroll to listen to a speech by a visiting bishop. That stroll became a parade, and thus, the very first Savannah St. Patrick’s Day parade was born.

Though the modern-day parade is a secular affair, there’s at all times a preparade Mass on the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, the place pews are stuffed with parishioners wearing inexperienced. The parade begins on the Basilica, runs by means of Savannah’s historic district, and ends close to Forsyth Park.

Guests can count on marching bands, horses, and floats sponsored by native Irish teams and households through the occasion. The town’s well-known fountains will stream inexperienced, and loads of emerald-colored beer will likely be accessible all through town. For these touring to Savannah particularly for the event, the year-old Resort Bardo is as near the parade as you may get. Alternatively, the Perry Lane Resort and the brand-new, Ann Savannah will put you within the coronary heart of the merrymaking.