City: Atlanta, GA

Category: Annual Events & Festivals

Description: Atlanta goes green with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Sponsored by the Hibernian Society, the Atlanta St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the highlight, having been held for more than 152 years. The day usually begins with an early morning mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Buckhead, where proper dress and propriety are required. But the revelers let their hair down soon afterward, starting at 11:30 a.m. with the parade through Downtown. Across the city, Irish hangouts are packed with partygoers: Check out the green beer and Irish stew at Fado’s and McDuff’s Irish Pub in Buckhead, Limerick Junction in Virginia-Highland, Meehan’s Public House in Alpharetta, and Danny O’Shea’s in Marietta. Depending on what day the feast falls, the celebration may extend for a day or two before and after the 17th. Look for an array of concerts, readings, and lectures at various locations around town. Theatre Gael, the Celtic-inspired dramatic group, and the W. B. Yeats Foundation at Emory University usually feature special programs. The city of Decatur, a few miles east of downtown Atlanta, holds its own parade near the day of green as well.