St. Patrick’s Day happens every March 17. Parades are usually held on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day (unless the holiday falls on Saturday, of course). Find a summary of the festivities around the Puget Sound region below, followed by a calendar list of St. Patrick’s Day events for the current year.
Wishing you a pot o’ gold, and all the joy your heart can hold.
St. Patrick’s Day banner – DepositPhotos.com
St. Patrick’s Day parades & festivals in the Puget Sound region
St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated annually in Seattle since the latter half of the 1800s. The first official St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held in Seattle in 1972 and a parade has been held every year since then. Ten years later, the first Irish Festival was held at Seattle Center. Since then, Seattle has been treated to an annual feast of free Irish entertainment that attracts thousands of attendees to the Seattle Center Armory each year.
Seattle St. Patrick Landing on Lake Union happens before the Irish Festival at Seattle Center. More info: Irish Week 2024 (irishclub.org)
Seattle Irish Festival at Seattle Center takes place on the weekend closest to St Patrick’s Day. More info: Irish Festival Seattle (seattlecenter.com)
Seattle St. Patrick’s Day parade takes place on Saturday during Irish Festival Weekend. The Annual St Patrick’s Day Parade starts at Jefferson Street, marches up 4th Avenue to the reviewing stand at Westlake, and ends at Seattle Center where the Irish Festival is underway. More info: St. Patrick’s Day Parade (irishclub.org)
Bremerton Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Get your Irish on and celebrate this fun community tradition in downtown Bremerton. More info: Downtown Bremerton Association – Events
Erin Go Bragh painting on wood – DepositPhotos.com
Irish phrases for St. Patrick’s Day
The following are some phrases and greetings you can use on St. Patrick’s Day:
“Erin go Bragh” is an anglicized version of the Irish phrase “Éirinn go Brách” (and various other spellings), which translates to “Ireland forever” or more literally “Ireland until the end of time”.
Sláinte means “Good Health”, which you can use in place of “cheers”.
“Dia is Muire Dhuit” is a way to say “hello” and means “God and Mary with you.” We have no idea how to pronounce it. If someone says this to you, the response is “Dia is Mhuire Duit agus Padraig” or “God and Mary and St. Patrick with you.”
“A hundred thousand welcomes” is another greeting. In Irish Gaelic, it is “Céad Mile Fáilte”.
“Go n-éiri an bóthar leat” is an Irish blessing, which can be used to say “goodbye” or “good luck”. The literal translation is “may the road be successful for you”, though it is often translated as “may the road rise up to meet you,” as in this complete blessing:
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Irish restaurants and bars in the Puget Sound region
Here’s our list of recommended Irish restaurants and bars in the Puget Sound region that host special events for St. Patrick’s Day: Recommended restaurants and bars for St. Patrick’s Day – Greater Seattle on the Cheap
For more St. Patrick’s Day festivities, visit our calendar below.
Calendar of St. Patrick’s Day events
All events celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on our calendar.
Calendar of other cultural heritage events
More festivals and events celebrating the cultural heritage of people living in the Seattle-Tacoma metro area.
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