Even if you don’t have Irish ancestry, March 17^th provides the chance for family and friends to have fun together. Each city has its own way of celebrating the holiday including parades, music festivals, and pub-crawls. If you want to avoid crowds of rowdy adults, here are a few family-friendly events. Get dressed in your favorite green outfit and enjoy celebrating St. Patty’s Day in your city!

Colorado Springs, CO
On March 17^th at noon, you can watch the St. Patty’s Day parade in downtown Colorado Springs. Bring your family and join over 30,000 people on Tejon Street to watch the stream of festive classic cars, marching bands, floats, and leprechauns. This event will be worth the trip as over 100 entries participate in the parade.  

Washington, DC area
The event known as the Nation’s St. Patrick’s Day parade will take place on Sunday March 11^th from noon-3pm. Gather along Constitution Avenue for two-and-a-half hours of family fun. You can expect to see floats, pipe bands, military police, and musicians during this day of celebration.

It will be worth the 40-minute trip to Manassas, VA on March 13^th for the annual parade in Old Town. Beginning at 11am, enjoy a celebration of community organizations including Marine Corps Color Guard, Firefighters and Sheriff’s Pipe and Drum, and more. What better place to honor our uniformed officers than just outside the nation’s capital.

Fort Worth, TX
If you want a country style St. Patrick’s Day, you’ve found it here! Stockyard Station hosts Cowtown Goes Green on March 17^th beginning at 1pm. Perfect for all ages, this event will include pony rides, a petting zoo, games and contests, live music and more. A Western/Irish themed parade will follow the cattle drive at 4pm – all free!

Boston, MA
If a crowded parade isn’t the ideal scene for your family, soak up St. Patrick’s history with a tour of the Irish Heritage Trail. This self-guided walk through Boston highlights landmarks of Irish-American artists and icons. Pick up a copy of the map at the Boston Common or the Prudential Center to get started. You can personalize this event according to your own schedule and by selecting the areas that most interest you.

Julia Mercier is an intern at Mom Central Consulting.

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