NEWS

Tampa ranks in top 10 U.S. cities to party on St. Patrick's Day on this list. Here's why.

Lianna Norman
USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner (Sunday, March 17) and it falls on a weekend day this year!

If you’re a Floridian looking for the best place to celebrate the luck of the Irish, look no further than your own backyard. Tampa ranked in WalletHub’s top 10 best cities in the U.S. for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

After all, the first known American celebration of St. Patrick’s Day was right here in the Sunshine State, in colonial St. Augustine.

Here’s where Tampa ranked on WalletHub’s list of the best U.S. cities to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and why.

What city celebrates St. Patrick's Day the best?

WalletHub compared 200 of the largest cities in the U.S. across metrics such as the percentage of Irish residents in each city, the number of Irish restaurants and pubs per capita, the average price of beer, crime rates, and the St. Patrick’s Day weather forecast to find the best cities to celebrate this year.

Unsurprisingly, Boston, Massachusetts, which is known partly for its large Irish population, ranked as the best city to celebrate St. Paddy’s.

Chicago, Illinois placed in second and Savannah, Georgia rounded out the top three.

Tampa — which ranked third for the most Irish pubs and restaurants per capita — slid in at the bottom of the top 10, ranking in ninth place overall.

Here’s WalletHub’s list of the best cities to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year:

  1. Boston, Massachusetts
  2. Chicago, Illinois
  3. Savannah, Georgia
  4. Reno, Nevada
  5. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  6. New York, New York
  7. Worcester, Massachusetts
  8. Buffalo, New York
  9. Tampa, Florida
  10. Santa Rosa, California

Before you get in the car:St. Patrick's Day is one of the most dangerous driving times of the year. 6 ways to plan ahead

What time is Tampa turning the river green?

There’s no shortage of ways to celebrate St. Paddy’s in Tampa. Whether you want to spend your St. Patrick’s Day hopping from pub to pub, or simply strolling along the green river, there are plenty of festivities to enjoy all weekend.

Every year on St. Patrick’s Day, the city of Tampa dyes part of the Hillsborough River bright green. This year, the “River O’Green” celebration will occur the day before St. Patrick’s Day, on Saturday, March 16, starting at 11 a.m.

“River O’ Green is an annual, free event to kick off the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, as the Hillsborough River is transformed into a bright shade of green,” the city’s website says.

“This day of festive fun at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park will feature live music, kids activities, food trucks, and of course, beer.”

Here’s the performance schedule for Tampa’s River O’Green event on Saturday, March 16:

  • 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.: Paddy O’Furniture Performance (Main Stage)
  • 11:30 a.m.: TBD (Terrace Stage)
  • 1:00 p.m.: Finnegan Irish Dance Academy Performance (Terrace Stage)
  • 1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.: TBD (Main Stage)
  • 2:30 p.m.: TBD (Terrace Stage)
  • 3:00 p.m.: Finnegan Irish Dance Academy Performance (Terrace Stage)
  • 3:30 p.m.: Pet Costume Contest Sponsored by Barrymore Hotel (Terrace Stage)
  • 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Phoenix Five Performance (Main Stage)