Along with hopes of warmer spring weather, March 17 spreads Irish cheer from coast to coast. Travel experts at the GO Group, LLC, the nation’s largest ground transportation company, suggest enjoying St. Patrick’s Day by taking in one of the many parades happening around the country. They include:
- Boston: South Boston Parade, Sunday, March 14, 1 p.m. In possibly the most Irish city in the United States, Boston bursts with pride during its St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Held annually since 1901, the parade features floats, music, marching and pipe bands.
- Chicago: Downtown Parade, Saturday, March 13, 12 noon. Kicking off with dying the Chicago River green, Chicago’s St. Patty festivities officially begin at 10:45 a.m. At noon, the parade begins..
- NewYork City: Fifth Avenue, Wednesday, March 17, 11 a.m. The oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade in America will march for the 249th consecutive year up Fifth Avenue. Each year the parade is led by soldiers of the Irish 165th Infantry and includes members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the 30 Irish county societies..
- Philadelphia: Sunday, March 14, 12 noon. Hosted by the St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association, Philadelphia’s parade features thousands of marchers, bands, and floats filling John F. Kennedy Blvd. See the route at http://www.philadelphiastpatsparade.com/.
- Seattle: Saturday, March 13, 12:30 p.m. Anyone with an Irish connection is invited to walk in Seattle’s annual parade with Closing Ceremonies at 2 p.m. Learn more at http://www.irishclub.org/parade.htm.
- Dallas/Fort Worth: Greenville Ave., Saturday, March 13, 11 a.m. Billed by many as “Dallas’ version of Mardi Gras,” the two-mile parade draws over 1,500 participants, colorful costumes and outrageous floats.
GO Group LLC launched in August 2007 as a one-stop source for door-to-door airport shuttle services. Each year, its 28 members transport some 13 million passengers to and from nearly 52 airports in the United States, Canada and Europe. Travelers can book ground transportation to and from both departure and destination airports through GO’s Web site.