Outside of Ireland, the best place to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17th) is New York. The city hosts the biggest and oldest (2010 will be its 249th edition) St. Patrick’s Day event in the world, with 200,000 participants and drawing two million spectators along Fifth Avenue. Unlike say, the Macy’s Day Parade, the Saint Patrick’s Day parade is endearingly old-fashioned; no cars or floats are allowed, and instead brass bands and members of various Irish

St.Patrick's Cathedral in NYC

St.Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC

societies march up the avenue to the beat of traditional Irish music in a spectacle of green and gold.  Each borough also holds its own event, and the city’s hundreds of Irish bars and pub ring loud with the sounds of Celtic revelers well into the night. For the really deal, head to McSorely’s Old House at 15 E 7th Street—it’s the oldest Irish Pub in Manhattan.

For the liveliest local celebrations, don your best green clothing and head to Riverdale in the Bronx, an historically Irish neighbourhood. If you prefer to celebrate St. Patrick’s spiritual significance you could even attend mass at the beautiful neo-Gothic Saint Patrick’s cathedral. Or why not catch a performance of the Irish dance spectacular ‘Riverdance’? This worldwide hit returns to Radio City Music Hall for five days during Saint Patrick’s Day week in New York. Learn also about St Patrick’s day in Korea.