Boston Gears Up for Annual St. Patrick’s Day Festivities

The St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are in full swing in Boston as thousands of individuals get ready for the annual revelry and parade.

The festivities kick off with a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast from 9:30 am to midday at the Ironworkers Local 7 Hall, featuring guests like Senator Elizabeth Warren, Governor Maura Healey, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. Senator Nick Collins will be hosting the event.

Following that, at 1 p.m., the historic parade commences, starting at the Broadway T Station.

Boston was the pioneering city in North America to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It all began nearly 300 years ago on March 17, 1737, as a gesture of solidarity with the then-new Irish immigrants in the city. In 1901, the parade shifted to South Boston to commemorate the evacuation of British troops in 1776.

The event has drawn massive crowds since then, with nearly a million people reveling last year, and vendors have already been peddling their wares on the streets of Southie this week.

Bar owners are also gearing up for a rowdy afternoon, including the L Street Tavern, which officially changed ownership last week. Marc Medico bought this Irish pub with his brother and mentions that the staff will closely monitor the number of people in the bar and their alcohol intake:

“We have bouncers to make sure they’re checking people for sobriety IDs and such, and all the bartenders have been trained not to over-serve customers. We try to be safe. The town is a little crazy because people are drinking everywhere on the streets.”

Authorities are encouraging people to take public transportation into the city for the parade. Extra transportation services and additional police presence will be added for security.