by Eileen Thai

Created on: March 14, 2009

I have lived in Philadelphia and Boston, both with a large Irish population, but never once did I go to a St. Patrick's Day Parade. As someone who loves to explore the local area and enjoys the heritage and the arts and culture of the city I live in, I now wonder why I did not participate in the festivities back then. Perhaps it has to do with the limited time one has when working a full-time job.

After quitting work to go cruising full-time, I look for local festivities wherever I go. My first experience at a St. Patrick's Day celebration was in Savannah, Georgia. I had stopped at a marina for a few days to have work done on the boat. The locals urged me to attend because they say Savannah has one of the best, if not the best, St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the country. I didn't know this at the time, but it is Savannah's largest annual celebration, and the second largest St. Patrick's Day event in the United States, with over 400,000 people attending. Pretty impressive for a city with a population of about 130,000.

As I ventured into the city, I discovered that Savannah celebrates St. Patrick's Day like it is New Year's Eve, only without the fireworks at midnight. Revelers go all out and dress rather outrageously, just begging to be seen. Many not only color their hair, they color their dogs as well! City water fountains are dyed green, and vendors sell all kinds of stuff with a shade of green. And when the local Chinese restaurant garnish their rice with specks of green, you get the feeling that this festival is big.

Several streets in the downtown area are closed to traffic for this famous parade. As you wander the streets to stake out a perfect spot, you walk through beautiful squares, and are greeted with majestic moss-draped oak tress and blooming azaleas. Spring is in the air, and it is absolutely gorgeous. This year, Savannah celebrates its 185th year parade with colorful floats, pipe bands, and Irish good cheer.

When the parade is over, the celebration continues with live entertainment at both City Market and River Street. Party-goers prefer River Street, the cobblestone street lined with pubs, restaurants, and shops, overlooking the Savannah River. To get in, you buy a wristband, which allow people to drink their alcohol outside the restaurants. People cavorting to live music, boats gliding by, this is the best spot to people watch and take in all the revelry and the lovely scenery.

I love the parade so much I went again with friends the following year, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. After hosting the parade one hundred and eighty-four times, Savannah does a mighty fine job with the parade, and sure knows how to throw a party and have a jolly good time.

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