While many cities claim to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day the biggest and the best, most cannot compare to the festivities in New Orleans. After all, we have SIX parades, including one in nearby Saint Bernard Parish that also celebrates the Italian and Canary Islands cultures. Don’t forget the fabulous block parties in the appropriately-named Irish Channel section of NOLA.

St. Patrick’s Day parties are some of the biggest street parties of the year. The best of these block parties are held in the street outside Parasol’s, an Irish Channel bar and restaurant at 3rd and Constance streets; this party is running for 3 days this year! Thursday March 14th, Saturday March 16 & Sunday March 17. Molly’s at the Market at 1107 Decatur Street is another street party in the French Quarter on Friday. Both parties are free and open to the public.

Saint Patrick’s Day Parades 2013

Sunday, March 3: St. Bernard Irish/Italian/Islenos Parade, St. Bernard Parish 11 a.m. The route will begin and end at the Sigur Civic Auditorium, 8245 W. Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette, LA.

Friday, March 15: Molly’s at the Market Irish Parade, French Quarter – 6 p.m. Featuring riders in carriages and marching groups, the parade begins and ends at Molly’s at the Market, 1107 Decatur St.

Saturday, March 16: Irish Channel Parade- 1 p.m. The Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Club will hold Annual Mass and Parade celebration at noon at St. Mary’s Assumption Church, on the corner of Constance and Josephine Streets. The parade will follow, and starts at the corner of Felicity and Magazine at 1 p.m.

A sea of Green in New Orleans during a Saint Patrick’s Day street party.

Sunday, March 17: St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Metairie Road, Metairie 11 a.m. The parade begins in front of Archbishop Rummel High School on Severn Avenue, goes down Severn to Metairie Road, then up Metairie Road to the Orleans Parish line. It usually finishes about 3 p.m.

Sunday, March 17: Downtown Irish Club Paradethrough the French Quarter – 6:00 p.m. The annual downtown St. Patrick’s Day Parade begins on the corner of Burgundy and Piety in the city’s Bywater neighborhood, proceeds roughly up Royal Street, across Esplanade to Decatur Street, up Bienville Street to Bourbon Street. The parade makes several “pit stops” on its way to Bourbon.

Catch beads and other St/ Patrick’s Day themed goodies from floats

Sunday, March 24: Louisiana Irish-Italian Parade, Metairie – noon. The Parade will roll at noon along the traditional Veterans Highway route in Metairie.

Pick a B&B Near Your St. Patty’s Day Parade

We have member bed and breakfasts all over the city, so no matter what parade you want to see, or which corner of New Orleans you explore, we’ve got you covered! Do yourself a favor: don’t just walk by all that beautiful architecture, come inside a New Orleans Bed and Breakfast to experience it!