St. Patrick's Day in New Orleans and St. Bernard
New Orleans, LA New Orleans, Louisiana
Petr Kratochvil
growing cabbage
Cabbages, carrots, onions—and maybe even a moonpie or two—are the booty at these parades. Following close on the heels of Mardi Gras, who needs more beads anyway? Catch ingredients for your stew at these area parades:
March 1
Irish Channel Practice March: Watch the paraders get into the spirit with a practice run, held in Jackson Square at noon.
March 15
Irish Channel Block Party: Start the weekend off right with an old fashioned street party. Free music and entertainment, with food and beverages available for purchase at Annunciation Park. All proceeds benefit St. Michael's Special School. 1 pm.
Downtown Irish Club Parade: Catch this popular downtown parade as it rolls from the corner of Burgundy and Piety in the Bywater, proceeds up Royal across Esplanade to Decatur, then up Canal to Bourbon—with several pit stops. 7 pm.
March 16
Parasol's Block Party Celebration: Music, green beer, food, and plenty of holiday surprises in the midst of a block party atmosphere at 3rd and Constance. 10 am–8 pm.
Tracy's St. Paddy's Day Party: The official parade-viewing party, at 2604 Magazine—complete with green beer, corned beef, and cabbage. 11 am ‘til.
Irish Channel Parade: Get your green on and head to the Irish Channel where the Irish Channel St. Patrick's Day Club will hold its Annual Mass and Parade celebration. Mass is at noon at St. Mary's Assumption Church (corner of Constance and Josephine streets) followed by the parade (starting at Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitlouas) at 1 pm.
Italian-American St. Joseph's Parade in the French Quarter: The Italian American Club celebrates the feast of St. Joseph with a parade through the French Quarter. Starts at the intersection of Convention Center Boulevard and Girod Street, with floats, marching bands, and a whole lot of guys dressed in tuxedos. 6 pm.
March 17
St. Patrick's Day Parade on Metairie Road: This annual parade begins in front of Rummel High School on Severn Avenue, goes down Severn to Metairie Road, then Metairie Road to the parish line. Noon.
March 24
Louisiana Irish-Italian Parade: This multi-cultural tradition rolls out all the stops along Metairie's Veterans Highway route. Noon.
April 6
St. Bernard Irish-Italian Isleños Parade: St. Bernard Irish Italian Isleños Community Parade & Marching Club will celebrate in "da parish" along Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette and Arabi. Forty-three floats and 300,000 pounds of produce are coming your way. 11 am.