Musicians performing and entertaining spectators on a stage with shamrock designs at the Baltimore St Patrick’s Day parade. Image: Kazad/Artcentron

The Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day celebration is an amazing opportunity to enjoy Irish culture with lots of music, dancing, and merrymaking. After more than two years of suspension due to COVID-19, the festival returns in full force. Here are the top tips to help you enjoy the festivities if you are coming from out of town.

BY KAZAD

BALTIMORE, MD- It is almost St. Patrick’s Day and people are gearing up across the county for the celebrations. Like many other places, Baltimore is preparing for the Baltimore St Patrick’s Day festivities.  If you have not been to the St Patrick’s Day celebration in Baltimore, you should mark it on your calendar.   You will have an amazing time.

1. Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day happens yearly in remembrance of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved over the year into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special food, music, dancing, drinking, and a whole lot of green.

For more than 60 years, the Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day celebration, including the St. Patrick’s Day parade has been one of the biggest in the United States. The City goes all out to make the festivities memorable. During the parade, spectators converge on streets and sidewalks of downtown Baltimore and the famous Inner Harbor to watch thousands more march and celebrate Irish culture. There is dancing, singing, and merrymaking everywhere.  However, the Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day Celebration is not just about merrymaking alone. It is also about keeping fit and giving back.  

The Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day celebration is pet friendly and many people bring their pets to enjoy the festivities every year. They are often dressed in the most colorful shades of green and costumes that make them stand out.  If you are thinking of attending this year’s Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day, here are some survival tips that will help you enjoy the festivities.

2. Book Your Lodging Early

Thousands of people from across the United States and internationally attend the St Patrick’s Day celebration in Baltimore. If you are coming from another State, it is important to book your room well ahead of time. There are so many hotels, big and small, in Baltimore ready to accommodate guests joining in the celebration. 

Booking your room early helps prevent the rush from the influx of people arriving at the last minute. Another benefit of booking a room early is that you will pay less. During the rush period, many hotels raise their prices due to increase demand.   

In booking a hotel, it is important to map your access to places where the St Patrick’s Day events will be held. You don’t want to have a room in Silver Spring when the event is happening downtown Baltimore. That is too far. It is better to look for a hotel that is closer to or located around downtown Baltimore.

Many of those who join the Baltimore St Patrick’s Day come for the fun and excitement. While some have money for accommodations in five stars hotels, others are fun lovers with little money to spend. For this group, there are affordable motels. Alternately, guests with little money can check out Airbnb where they can book people’s homes or condominiums on the company’s site.  If you book early, it is possible to get a great deal.

3. Arrive Early for the Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day

The Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day festivities begin days before St. Patrick’s Day. This year’s parade will be held on March 10.  To have a full experience of the festivities, it is better to arrive a few days early. Arriving early provides the opportunity to go sightseeing.  Baltimore has museums, galleries, and malls where you can buy costumes for the parade. The stores have amazing designs that are both comical and spectacular. Arriving early also provides a chance to see the parade route and locate the best places to sit and view the St. Patrick’s Day parade with your family, including your pet, if you have one. Below is a beautiful tee shirt you can buy wear during the celebration. Click on the image for details.

4. Check the Weather

It is impossible to predict what the Baltimore weather would be like at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. Therefore, it is important to check the weather before stepping out to join the festivities. As many people know, March is an eccentric month in terms of weather: one moment it is warm and the next, it is cold. You do not want to be unprepared. If there is rain in the forecast, even if it is just 10 percent, take an umbrella with you. You should also have a jacket because it might get cold. If you are taking your pet with you, make necessary preparations to care for the pet as the weather changes.

5. Attending the Parade Day Mass

This year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations will begin with a mass at the Basilica of Assumption. The tradition began about eight years and has continued as a major part of the festivities. The mass brings together men, women, and children who pray for a safe and happy celebration will have Most Rev. William E. Lori, 16th Archbishop of Baltimore, as the principal celebrant. If you are attending the mass, please dress appropriately.

6. Participate in the 5K Shamrock Run

The Baltimore St Patrick’s Day celebrations in not just about merrymaking alone: it is also about fitness and giving back.  The St Patrick’s Day parade begins with the Under Armor Kelly St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5K.  The race brings together runners from across the world to participate in a race to raise money for those who need help in society. This year’s race will benefit St Vincent De Paul Baltimore whose mission is to “ensure those impacted by poverty have the skills and resources to achieve their full potential.”

The Under Armor Kelly St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5K race goes through Baltimore city and ends at the Power Plant Live! for an epic after-party.  Winners will receive cash awards and medals.  You have to register to participate in the 5K race. Make sure to arrive early and dress appropriately. Above all, be ready to make new friends.  You can register on the race website.

Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day Parade

People who come to Baltimore for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations have their focus on the parade.  It is important to determine early if you want to go to the parade or not. If you are going, you have to arrive early. Although the parade starts at 2:00 PM, people start arriving hours early because other events happening before the main parade.  By 11:00 AM, downtown Baltimore will already be packed with spectators.

 If you are driving, there are many parking spaces around the venue of the festival. Of course, you have to pay. A note of caution, watch out for those who charge exorbitantly for parking spaces. It is easy to find cheap or discounted parking spaces if you look around.  There are also metered parking spaces around the venue of the parade.  If you are parking along the streets make sure it is an allocated parking space and do not forget to feed the meters. If you park in the wrong place, your car will be towed.

7. Enjoy Craft Beer

In the last five years, Baltimore has become a major center for brewing craft beer. So big is craft beer in Baltimore that there is an annual craft beer festival every summer. During the parade, craft beer brewers will be strategically located along the route of the festival and people can buy from them. If you have a special cup, you can bring one because it makes it easy to move along with the crowd. It is also an opportunity to gauge your own drinking.  With all the excitement, it is easy to get drunk. Please check yourself and do not get drunk.  If you become a public nuisance, the police will arrest you. Above all, if you must urinate, use the porta-potties.  If you urinate on the street, Baltimore Police will arrest or fine you. There are strict rules regarding public urination in Baltimore

Of course, if you are not interested in lining the street during the parade, you can go into one of the Irish pubs. They have music, beer, and great food.  Do not forget to try Guinness, the celebrated Irish brew.

8. Cash is Good

Baltimoreans are very enterprising, and they show it during the St. Patrick’s Parade. Before and during the parade, people set up tents and kiosks in strategic places to sell their wares.  They include tee shirts, food, beads ornaments, and souvenirs.   No doubt, you will see something you want to buy. Money is the best medium of exchange. However, if you don’t have cash, you can pay with a credit card where acceptable.

9. Enjoy the Inner Harbor

The famous Baltimore Inner Harbor is fun central for Baltimoreans and guests to the city.  There are restaurants, stores, and major attractions all around the harbor. During the St Patrick’s Day parade, there is music and fun games for everyone. Hundreds of people join others at the harbor to celebrate the Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day festivities. There is dancing and merry-making even hours after the parade.

10. The Police Is Your Friend

Because of the mammoth crowd attending the St. Patrick’s Day parade at the Inner Harbor every year, there is always the need for adequate security. The Baltimore Police are always there to provide security on land, air, and sea. So, don’t be afraid when you see some fully armed police officers walking around. They are there to protect you. You can ask questions and even take pictures with them. However, remember: If you see something, say something.

11. Bring Your Pets to the Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day

The Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day Parade is pet-friendly. Every year, hundreds of people bring their pets, especially dogs, to the parade. In fact, there are presentations of different breeds of dogs during the parade. Do you know what an Irish Greyhound looks like?  Come to the Baltimore St. Patrick’s Parade and you see many of them.

If you are bringing your dog, please ensure he is on a leash. Also, make sure you have a jacket or blanket for your dog in case it gets cold. Above all, in the spirit of the parade, dress up your dog in the best costume you can get. After all, they are man’s best friends.

12. Enjoy Yourself

The Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day is a great opportunity to have fun.  If you arrive days before the celebrations begin, you can visit the museums. The Baltimore Museum of Art is easily accessible from downtown Baltimore. There is also the Visionary Art Museum. If you are not into art, there is Ripley’s Believe It or Not at the Baltimore Inner Harbor.  You can also take a boat ride or visit the Baltimore World Trade Center, and Fort Mchenry. Yes, visit the Barns & Noble building. The building has an amazing history.

13. Stay Safe

Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day celebration is an opportunity to have fun and celebrate Irish culture and tradition. However, it is important to be cautious during the festivities, especially the parade. The first thing is to be cautious of your environment. As with other major events, there are pickpockets and scammers.  Make sure that your valuables are well-protected. Also, know your limit and don’t get drunk.  If you get drunk and become a public nuisance, Baltimore Police will arrest you for public intoxication. Above all, don’t just pee anywhere. That is a no, no in Baltimore. Use the porta-potties.

It is okay to have fun during the St Patrick’s Day festivities but don’t overdo it. If you are too drunk to drive, call a friend or take the Tipsy Taxi. From the last time we checked, Tipsy Taxi is free.  If all that fails, you can always take Uber or Lift. It is important to be safe and not endanger the lives of others.

St. Patrick’s Day in Baltimore is an opportunity to have an amazing experience.  The 13 survival tips above will help you enjoy the celebrations.

The St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Baltimore is an amazing opportunity to enjoy Irish culture with lots of music, dancing, and merrymaking. Here are some tips to help you enjoy the festivities if you are coming from out of town