Traditionally, the Irish were the largest ethnic group in Philadelphia. Hence, St. Patrick's Day is always celebrated here on a large scale. The festivities include a family-friendly parade, street parties, concerts, pub crawls at numerous Irish bars, and much more.
Greening of the Canal (March 14, 2024)
St. Patrick’s Day in Indianapolis is a holiday, which paints the whole city green. Even Indianapolis’ downtown canal is dyed this color each year. Hosted for 24 years, the “Greening of the Canal” event takes place on the Ohio Street canal basin and attracts thousands of tourists annually. The free event kicks off at 5 pm, and everyone’s welcome to come and watch the water turn green. The ceremony features The Hoosier Lottery, food trucks, live entertainment, and special guests, like Mayor Joe Hogsett, 2024 Irish Citizen Of The Year, Sarah Taylor, Executive Director of the Hoosier Lottery.
Tent & Block party (March 15, 2024)
After the water starts resembling a potion, the festivities begin. First, there is a tent & block party, which starts at 9 am on North Street and goes on until 3 pm. The street is closed to traffic, allowing food trucks and a beer garden to serve meals and drinks to visitors freely. A huge heated tent offers numerous live entertainment performances, like Irish music and dance concerts. The entrance is free, so everybody’s welcome to join the crowd. In 2024, the live music lineup includes Highland Reign, a Scots-American folk rock band from Indianapolis, and A Beautiful Day, a band playing U2 music.
St. Patrick’s Day parade (March 15, 2024)
The party is followed by the annual massive parade. The procession showcases fantastic marching bands, moving drum and pipe shows, candy throwing, green helium balloons, Irish dancers, and, of course, themed festive floats. Thousands of participants represent Philadelphia Catholic schools, Irish cultural organizations, local companies, and non-profits. The parade starts at 11:30 am at North and Pennsylvania St. and finishes at Meridian and Vermont St. at 1 pm.
Keep in mind that Indianapolis is pretty busy on St. Patrick's Day, so be sure to book your accommodation in advance and check out our external resources section for any additional information.
