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St. Patrick's Day 2022 in NYC: Parades and Kid-Friendly Events

The big St. Patrick's Day Parade is one of the many things to do in NYC to celebrate the holiday. Photo by Marine Corps NYC via Flickr
The big St. Patrick's Day Parade is one of the many things to do in NYC to celebrate the holiday. Photo by Marine Corps NYC via Flickr
3/4/22 - By Drew Kristofik

If your days of celebrating until you're green around the gills on St. Patrick's Day are a distant memory, don't worry: There are plenty of kid-friendly ways to mark St. Patrick's Day in NYC this March. After all, everyone feels a wee bit Irish around the holiday. Best of all? Most of these festivities are FREE.

St. Patrick's Day falls on Thursday, March 17, but it's really a month-long celebration, with the Queens County Rockaway Parade kicking things off Saturday, March 5, and the final procession taking place in Bay Ridge on Saturday, March 27.  In addition to St. Patrick's Day parades in all five boroughs, there are family fests, step-dancing performances (and lessons), plus food workshops and kids' flicks.

Here are some of our favorite ways to celebrate Irish culture and St. Patrick's Day in NYC. Sláinte!

Be sure to click through to our listings for all the details, including addresses, times, costs, recommended ages, and the latest COVID protocols. Bookmark our Family Activity Calendar for even more holiday fun. 

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OUR LATEST VIDEOS

The Throggs Neck St. Patrick's Day Parade is a celebratory affair. Photo by Elizabeth Roche
The Throggs Neck St. Patrick's Day Parade is a celebratory affair. Photo by Elizabeth Roche

St. Patrick's Day Parades in NYC

Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade at Rockaway Beach

Rockaway Beach, Queens–FREE
Saturday, March 5
Head to Rockaway Beach for an early St. Patrick’s Day Parade the first Saturday in March. The 49th annual procession starts with a mass for peace at St. Francis de Sales Church, before stepping off behind grand marshals that include congressmen and respected community members. READ MORE

St. Pat's for All Parade 2024

Sunnyside, Queens–FREE
Sunday, March 6
The St. Pat's for All Parade celebrates the diversity of the Irish and Irish American communities of New York. First held in 2000, St. Pat's for All cherishes and celebrates an inclusive St. Patrick's season.  READ MORE

Staten Island St. Patrick's Parade

West Brighton, Staten Island–FREE
Sunday, March 6
The annual Staten Island St. Patrick's Parade attracts thousands of spectators to Forest Avenue each year for a procession of the borough's pipe bands, school bands, revelers in Irish pride, and celebrated figures. READ MORE

26th Annual Throggs Neck St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Throggs Neck, the Bronx–FREE
Sunday, March 13
The Throggs Neck Benevolent Association's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade turns out the crowds to celebrate the holiday. The parade route heads down East Tremont, toward Harding Avenue, and turns right onto Harding Avenue. There is a reviewing stand at Harding and Tremont. READ MORE

New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade on Fifth Avenue

Midtown–FREE
Thursday, March 17
NYC turns green once again as its famous St. Patrick's Day Parade marches up Fifth Avenue, past St. Patrick's Cathedral at 50th Street, all the way up to 79th Street and the Irish Historical Society, where the parade finishes at about 4:30-5pm. READ MORE

Annual Brooklyn St. Patrick's Day Parade

Park Slope, Brooklyn–FREE
Sunday, March 20
Head to South Slope for this festive St. Patrick's Day Parade (also the oldest St. Paddy's Day parade in Brooklyn!). Music, marching bands, face painting, Irish dancers, and antique cars are all back this year. READ MORE

Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn–FREE
Sunday, March 27
The Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade kicks off at 1pm and runs along 3rd Avenue, starting at Marine Avenue and marching down to 67th Street. READ MORE
Everything's going green at CMOM for St. Patrick's Day this March. Photo courtesy of CMOM
Everything's going green at CMOM for St. Patrick's Day this March. Photo courtesy of CMOM

Family-Friendly St. Patrick's Day Celebrations in NYC

Kids Fleadh (Irish Short films)

Chelsea
Saturday, March 5
Kids Fleadh showcases the best award-winning Irish short films for kids, both animation and live-action. Enjoy a special Irish step dance performance from the McManus Dance Group, too. READ MORE

Hands on History: Immigrant Women at King Manor

Jamaica, Queens–FREE
Saturday, March 5
Celebrate International Women’s Day—March 8—a bit early at King Manor. In honor of the holiday and March's status as Irish Heritage Month, King Manor celebrates the Irish immigrant women who worked there. Visit the manor's historic kitchen to learn about their lives in the United States and make a craft young Irish women enjoyed. READ MORE

Irish Step Dancing with Dawn Daniels

Snug Harbor, Staten Island
Sunday, March 6
Join local dancers from the Dawn Daniels Irish Dance Troupe as they perform and demonstrate the traditional, celebrated art of Irish step dancing in honor of St. Patrick’s Day at the Staten Island Children's Museum. Visitors are encouraged to join.  READ MORE

Annual St. Patrick’s Day Open House at the Irish Arts Center - SOLD OUT

Midtown West–FREE
Sunday, March 13
Irish Arts Center's 2023 open house features all-day traditional music and dance, live piano karaoke sing-alongs of Ireland and Irish-America’s greatest hits, a performance and group lesson by World Irish Dance Champion Tyler Shwartz, spring equinox-inspired arts and crafts, and a sampling of the venue's multidisciplinary educational offerings. READ MORE

12th Annual St. Patrick’s Citywide Book Day

Citywide–FREE
Thursday, March 17
The Irish Arts Center undertakes the 12th edition of one of its most beloved programs: Book Day, in which the center pays homage to Ireland’s rich literary tradition by giving away FREE books by some of the country’s—and Irish America’s—most celebrated writers. READ MORE

March at the Children's Museum of Manhattan

Upper West Side
Thursday, March 17
This March, CMOM is exploring the stories and contributions of pioneering women whose fearless pursuit of knowledge and innovation have redefined fashion, music, visual arts, design, and architecture.. READ MORE

40 Shades of Green at the New York Irish Center

Long Island City, Queens
Thursday, March 17
The New York Irish Center serves as the official hub of St. Patrick’s Day activity, providing a day filled with music, dance, and joyous mingling with some of the most talented and prominent people in the community. READ MORE

St. Patrick's Day: A Tribute to the Tredwells' Irish Servants with Bridget Murphy

East Village
Thursday, March 17
Take a back-stairs tour and experience the Merchant’s House through the eyes of the Irish immigrants who worked as domestic servants for the Tredwell family. Visitors climb the narrow staircase to the fourth-floor servants’ quarters and see where the Tredwells’ four Irish servants lived and did some of their work.  READ MORE

Irish Soda Bread Workshop - SOLD OUT

Richmond, Staten Island
Saturday, March 19
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, learn how to make Irish Soda Bread at Historic Richmond Town! Historical Interpreters explain the history and origins of this classic quick bread, and you can make your own loaf to take home! The bread is baked in a Dutch Oven. Admission includes a bread tasting and a butter churning tutorial. READ MORE

Mark Morris Dance Group Family Fun Series: Irish Dance Class

Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Saturday, March 26
Learn the basics of Irish dance in this energetic class that uses traditional dance reels to understand the unique sounds of Irish music. Families learn solo steps and group dances (Ceili). READ MORE

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