St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations Ignite Vibrant Parades and Festivities Across New York and the U.S. – One America News Network
OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
1:11 PM – Monday, March 17, 2025
Across the United States and around the world, communities have embraced celebrations for St. Patrick’s Day, the annual tribute to all things Irish, featuring lively parades and festivities on Monday and throughout the preceding weekend.
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One of the largest and most storied St. Patrick’s Day parades in the U.S. is held in New York City.
Now in its 264th year, the vibrant festival unfolds along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, with organizers estimating about 150,000 participants in the procession.
While many cities with strong Irish roots celebrated over the weekend, significant events are also planned for Monday in locations such as Savannah, Georgia. Chicago observed St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday, famously dyeing its river a bright green, while Philadelphia and Boston marked the occasion on Sunday.
Across the ocean in Dublin, Ireland’s capital, a lively parade honoring the nation’s rich heritage was held on Monday, concluding a three-day festival.
Even though the parades mark the celebration of Ireland’s patron saint, they have transformed into a global acknowledgement of Irish culture.
Irish immigrant associations, who faced discrimination and hostility in the United States alongside Italians in the late 19th century, played a pivotal role in popularizing the March 17th festivities.
The inaugural New York parade took place 14 years before the United States declared independence, in 1762.
“Entirely run by volunteers, the New York event was first held in 1762, making it the oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world, according to its official site. It is also the largest, attracting around 150,000 marchers and nearly two million attendees annually,” reported The New York Times.
Nonetheless, some historians contest the claim that the New York parade was the first, asserting that the earliest recorded St. Patrick’s Day parade occurred in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1601 — not, as many might presume, in Ireland, as noted by CBS News.
The festivities commenced at 11 a.m., as marchers and performers made their way northwards along Fifth Avenue from East 44th Street to East 79th Street. The procession featured school marching bands, traditional Irish pipe and drum units, representatives from the New York Police Department, and numerous local dignitaries, including the mayor and governor.
This year’s grand marshal of the New York City march is Michael Benn, the long-time chairman of the Queens County St. Patrick’s parade at Rockaway Beach.
In the meantime, social media users highlighted a notable meeting between UFC star Conor McGregor, hailing from Ireland, and President Donald Trump, where they discussed political matters relevant to McGregor’s homeland while also celebrating the Irish holiday together with the U.S. president.
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