New Orleans St. Patrick's Day Parade

Print, Email & Share

- Stumbleupon

- Facebook

- Twitter

- Reddit

The New Orleans St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the many festivals held in Louisiana every year. Brightly decorated floats travel the streets of the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana for more than just for the Mardi Gras celebration. The parade has over 1,000 marchers, and 40 floats. Since 1982, residents and tourists alike have gathered along sidewalks around the city as the groups and clubs in the city participate in the festivities, clad in St. Patrick’s Day costumes.

Any party in New Orleans wouldn’t be a party without the lively Irish music from the area’s musicians. Nor would it feel like New Orleans without beads. Added to these novelty items are flowers, kisses to the spectators and even a potato or two! Airborne food items are no strangers to this celebration and have included moon pies and cabbage to name a couple of others. Although the city of New Orleans carries a reputation for all night partying, the St. Patrick’s Day parade is an event for families to enjoy, with parents and their children enjoying the jovial city streets while munching on local street foods and some of the areas famous restaurants.

The celebration of Irish tradition does not begin and end on March 17th in New Orleans. Several clubs and associations turn this holiday into a weeklong gala, beginning with The Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Club mass and parade which initiates at St. Mary’s Assumption Church with religious services before the event starts off at the corner of Felicity and Magazine.

A separate St. Patrick’s Day Parade kicks off in front of the Rummel High School, traveling down to Metairie Road. The downtown event on March 17th is held by the Irish Club and travels throughout the city streets with its finale at none other than the infamous Bourbon Street.
photo credit: si_si_ay