10 Best St. Patrick’s Day Festivals in the U.S.

St. Patrick’s Day started out as a religious holiday commemorating the patron saint of Ireland. Today “St. Paddy’s” in America has become a celebration of Irish food, culture, and drink, as well as anything having to do with the color green. Typically observed with loud music, dancing, parades and green beer, St. Patrick’s Day festivities happen everywhere in the country, and they are perfect opportunities for beer enthusiasts everywhere to come together and have their fill.

No matter where in America you live, chances are there’s going to be a festival in a city near you come March 17. Below is a list of what we think are the top 10 St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the U.S.

1. Downtown Chicago

Downtown Chicago hosts one the biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the country. It begins with the world-famous dyeing of the Chicago River. The huge, vibrant green river flowing through the middle of the city is a must-see sight.

After the dying of the river, people cluster up along Columbus Drive to witness the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, replete with pipe bands, giant floats, Irish dancers and tons of other entertainers commemorating Irish culture. Then it’s on to the nightlife, as the party continues in the many Downtown Chicago bars and nightclubs.

2. Boston

St. Patrick’s Day first came to America in 1737, and the holiday was first celebrated in none other than Boston, Massachusetts. Over 850,000 people show up every year to this Irish bash, many of them from out of state. And with the population of the city being 16% Irish, Boston hosts one of the most enthusiastic St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the country.

Boston starts partying a full week before St. Patrick’s Day. This year, the city will host the fourth annual Gaelic Gourmet Gala, featuring top chefs from Ireland and Boston. Throughout the week there will be Irish band concerts as well as beer and food specials at bars and restaurants, like the 75 Chestnut, for those who dress their Irish best. On the 15th, South Boston hosts one of the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the country, with an estimated 600,000 people showing up.

3. Washington D.C.

There are many, many celebratory events and activities throughout the Nation’s capitol come St. Paddy’s Day. The most famous of these is probably the Shamrock Festival at the RFK Stadium. It happens on March 14 and it’s an all-day event showcasing over 50 Irish bands, dancers, games and other activities.

There’s a huge parade the following day, featuring bagpipe players, and Irish folk dancers, as well as the required floats and marching bands.

4. New York City

New York City has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a parade since 1762. They expect well over 1 million people to show up. There are over 150,000 marchers alone. Green beer and the sound of bagpipes will be everywhere in the streets of NYC.

If you get there a few days earlier, take the time to make the pilgrimage to the beautiful St. Patrick’s Cathedral as well as the many Irish Pubs and Bars scattered throughout the city.

5. St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is by far the best mid-western city for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. To start, Michelob sponsors a 5 mile run on the 14th. There is then a huge St. Patrick’s Day parade in downtown St. Louis, featuring character balloons, Irish dancers, equestrians and large floats.

At night, the celebration crescendos as people head off the many bars and pubs in the area offering festive drinks, plenty of green beer and Irish food.

6. Savannah, Georgia

Savannah has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with parade since 1825. What started out as a modest affair has turned into one of the biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the country. Savannah’s parade draws crowds of over 400,000 people.

Dying the city’s fountains green is one of the traditions unique to the city. Seeing the green fountains, as spring starts creeping up on the Georgia city is one of the most enjoyable sights you can witness.

7. San Francisco, California

In the western United States, you won’t find a St. Patrick’s Day celebration that’s bigger or richer in history than the one that takes place in San Francisco. Called one of the most fashionable parades in the country, San Francisco’s St. Patrick’s Day parade follows the city’s iconic trolley tracks.

Afterwards the nightlife gets livelier throughout the city’s many Irish bars and pubs, as the celebration draws thousands of people from all over the state.

8. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia has been celebrating the famous Irish holiday since 1771. The city’s annual parade is the second oldest parade in the country, and it is organized by the Saint Patrick’s Observance Association. The parade draws about 500,000 people and this year, it will be held on March 15th. There will be thousands of marchers and CBS will be broadcasting the event live.

9. Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City first held a St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1873. Today the event draws a crowd of about 200,000 spectators. One of the things unique to this particular parade is that the grand prize winner of the procession gets an all-expense paid trip to Ireland, so participants really give it their all.

After the parade, head over to Westport, where you’ll find some of the best post-parade drinking and partying establishments in town.

10. Dublin, Ohio

There are nine cities in the United States named Dublin, but Dublin, Ohio is the one that lives up to its name the most, especially when St. Patrick’s Day comes around. The city hosts a miles-long parade featuring floats, bands and leprechauns. There are plenty of post-parade bashes to attend.

If you are in the mood to explore some of the city’s Irish heritage, you can head over to the Historic District, and enjoy some Irish food and Celtic music.

source

If you like this post just click here Posted By crkota with No comments

8. Asyut, Egypt before 2160 B.C.

The lively provincial capital of Asyut, the largest town in Upper Egypt, is one of the centers of Coptic Christianity, and also has an excellent Islamic university associated with the El-Azhar University in Cairo, a technical college and a number of secondary schools. Situated on the left bank of the Nile, with a small older quarter and extensive modern districts, it has few features of tourist interest.

The town is noted for its craft products pottery, marquetry work, ivory carvings, leather articles, woven fabrics, colored woolen blankets, tulle shawls with gold and silver embroidery. Here as elsewhere, however, locally made articles of considerable artistic quality are gradually been driven out by industrial products in European style. Asyut has a busy river port handling soda, cotton and grain, and is a market center for the agricultural produce of the very fertile surrounding area.

History

Asyut (ancient Egyptian Syut) was a place of considerable importance in antiquity thanks to its situation in a large and fertile plain extending between the Libyan and the Arabian mountains a distance of some 12.5mi/20km at the end of the "road of the forty days", an important caravan route which led to the oases in the Libyan Desert and on to the Darfur Oasis in what is now Sudan. Politically, however, it achieved prominence only occasionally, as during the First Intermediate Period, when it played a considerable part in the conflicts between Thebes and Heracleopolis. Asyut was the capital of the 13th nome of Upper Egypt, the Sycamore nome, and the principal center of the cult of the war god Wepwawet, who was represented as a desert wolf: hence the town's Greek name of Lycopolis, "city of the wolf". Asyut was the birthplace of Plotinus (A.D. 205-270), the greatest of the Neo Platonic philosophers, whose system was influenced to some degree by the priestly doctrines of his native town. At the beginning of the fourth C. Christianity became dominant in the town, and pious believers moved into the caves of the necropolis to live a life of penitence. Among them was John of Lycopolis (end of fourth C.), who gained the reputation of a saint and a prophet: thus when the Emperor Theodosius sent an envoy to ask about the outcome of his conflict with his rival Eugenius he correctly foretold the Emperor's victory. During the medieval period the town enjoyed considerable prosperity thanks to its extensive trading connections and to its slave market, the largest in Egypt. Soon after the murder of President Sadat in October 1981 there were bloody conflicts in Asyut between Muslim radicals and the police.

source

If you like this post just click here Posted By crkota with No comments

5. Konya, Turkey 2600 B.C.

Central Anatolia

Situation and Importance

This famous oasis bordering the mountains and a former capital of the Seljuk Empire lies at the heart of the Anatolian steppes. Major irrigation projects have created fertile land around the city and produce includes fruit, vegetables and sugar beet. Wheat is the main crop and rearing livestock also plays an important part in the local economy, in particular Anatolian fat-rump sheep. As early as the 13th century Konya was making carpets. It was the first carpet-making center in the Islamic world and even Marco Polo enthused over the quality of the product. Konyan carpets with their pastel shades and floral patterns are today regarded as the finest in Turkey.

The busy market town which stands at a major crossroads and also on the Baghdad railroad line has become one of the most important industrial centers of central Anatolia. The town has been a national place of pilgrimage (Mevlana) for many hundreds of years and despite economic progress, the population remains steeped in the old traditions. With its strong oriental links, the lively bazaar and important buildings, Konya is well worth a visit.

History

The citadel in the town center would appear to have been settled since the Anatolian Copper Age (3500-3000 B.C.) and the Phrygians are thought to have established the first settlement. Konya's old name was Ikoneum (Iconium), which according to a legend of Perseus and Medusa dates from this period. Under Roman rule Iconium belonged to a number of different provinces. It was one of the first towns to adopt Christianity and Barnabas and Paul both stayed in the town (Acts 14:1). The latter met Thekla (later St Thekla) the merchant's daughter here. The Seljuks were responsible for advancing the city's fortunes. In the course of the ninth century this Turkish tribe advanced from the Aral Sea to make Ikoneum the capital of their empire which was soon to embrace a large part of Asia Minor. Despite some fierce struggles Konya sought greater cultural independence from Byzantium. The Crusades also impinged on Konya. On May 26th 1190 during the Third Crusade Frederick "Barbarossa" captured the town and his son Frederick took control of the whole city apart from the castle. Konya enjoyed a period of great prosperity under the well-known sultan Alaeddin Kaykobad (1219- 1237) who had learnt something of western culture in Constantinople. In 1221 Konya's fortifications were rebuilt using ancient building materials. 108 towers endowed by the empire's wealthy benefactors reinforced the wall only a few fragments of which remain today. A series of magnificent mosques, medrese and caravanserais were constructed in the town. Alaeddin's court became a center for scientists, poets (preferably Persian) and artists who were responsible for the Byzantine and Persian buildings and enamel tiles. But the decline began under the sultan's son who had his father murdered and in 1307 the last Seljuk ruler was killed by the Mongols.

In 1320 the now powerful emir from the neighboring principality (see Karaman) made Konya his capital and the tradition of glittering architectural showpieces received new impetus. The Ottoman interregnum (Bayazit I from 1397) ended the rule of the Mongol Timur in favor of the Karamans, before Konya finally succumbed to the Ottomans in 1466. After a long peaceful phase the city was occupied for at time by the rebellious Egyptian viceroy Mehmet Ali. Konya is the seventh largest city in Turkey.

source

If you like this post just click here Posted By crkota with No comments