March 17 is fast approaching, and everyone will suddenly be Irish – at least for the day! St. Patrick’s Day in Cleveland is quite the celebration, complete with a parade, Irish pubs full to the brim, live music, and more!
Cleveland certainly has reason to do St. Patrick’s Day big each year: there are over 72,000 people in the area of Irish descent! In fact, as we discussed in our Sister Cities of Cleveland article, County Mayo in Ireland has been a Cleveland Sister City since 2003. Many of the citizens of that county immigrated to the US and eventually settled in Cleveland during the construction of the Erie Canal system.
As a result, Cleveland turns into quite a party each St. Patrick’s Day! To get ready for the celebrations, we’ve got all the details on St. Paddy’s Day in Cleveland.
So grab your beer and say, “Sláinte!”
Everything You Need to Know About St. Patrick’s Day in Cleveland
What is St. Patrick’s Day?
St. Patrick’s Day is an Irish Catholic holiday celebrated on March 17 of each year, which is the anniversary of the death of Saint Patrick, who is said to have possibly passed on March 17, 461 AD.
Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle. He was credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland, and there are several myths and legends surrounding him.
The celebrations started over 1,000 years ago in Ireland. The holiday falls during the Lenten season, and families would go to church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon.
Celebrations have certainly evolved over the years, with the holiday now more of a celebration of Ireland and all things Irish. Dublin is the most famous location for the festivities in Ireland, where the celebrations usually go on for several days.
However, many US cities have their own extravagant celebrations. New York City has one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the world, and Chicago famously dyes its river green for the holiday.
Cleveland is no exception, as we like to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day here as well!
Cleveland St. Patrick’s Day Parade
This is easily the most popular and must-see thing to do in Cleveland during St. Patrick’s Day! The St. Paddy’s Day Parade in Cleveland dates back to 1867, and is one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the United States, bringing upwards of a half million people downtown each year. There are plenty of floats and live music, and loads of people enjoying the festivities.
The parade starts at 2:04 pm on March 17 at the intersection of Superior Avenue and East 18th Street. It then goes west and passes through Public Square before turning right on West Roadway and right on Rockwell Avenue. It then ends at the intersection of Rockwell Avenue and Ontario Street. The parade lasts for about two hours. (See the route here.)
Be sure to check for road closures ahead of time as these streets and surrounding areas will be blocked off.
This is a fantastic way to kick off the celebrations with a half million of your closest friends!
After the parade, head over to The Arcade, where the Cleveland Firefighters Memorial Pipes & Drums band performs to a huge, green-clad crowd. What a way to celebrate!
Where to Eat and Drink on St. Patrick’s Day in Cleveland
After (or perhaps before) the parade is through, you’re going to want to celebrate the Irish way with a lot of great food and drinks! So for tasty beer and Irish-American fare, this is where you want to eat and drink during St. Patrick’s Day in Cleveland.
Many of these spots open early and will have live Irish music on St. Patrick’s Day each year, too!
1. Flat Iron Cafe
1114 Center St, Cleveland (The Flats)
Established in 1910, the Flat Iron Cafe is the oldest Irish pub in Cleveland. It has live Irish music playing during St. Patrick’s Day, and even serves up kegs and eggs starting at 7 a.m. They also offer free shuttle rides to the parade and a pipe and drum band performs here after the parade!
2. Flannery’s Pub
323 Prospect Ave, Cleveland (Downtown)
Grab a pint of Guinness or an Irish whiskey and have some corned beef at this traditional Irish pub in downtown Cleveland. Flannery’s usually has live music and it gets very busy after the parade here. This large pub is a great spot to feel like you’ve transported yourself to Temple Bar in Dublin.
3. Old Angle Tavern
1848 W 25th St, Cleveland (Ohio City)
This sports bar, located on popular W 25th street in Ohio City, is always the place to go for watching soccer games! But, during St. Patrick’s Day, it’ll get a bit rowdier as parade-goers or those starting their celebrations will come to the Old Angle Tavern for live music, a fresh pint of Irish beer or cider, and perhaps some lamb stew or shepherd’s pie.
4. Gormley’s Pub
19500 Center Ridge Rd, Rocky River
With live music including a bagpiper and pipe and drum band, toasted corned beef sandwiches, and a great variety of beer, Gormley’s Pub is a great spot to go if you want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a bit further from the busy downtown area! Plus, Gormley’s usually opens their doors around 6 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day so you can celebrate early!
5. The Harp
4408 Detroit Ave, Cleveland (Detroit Shoreway)
Aside from this bar having one of the best patios in Cleveland, this Irish pub serves up a solid list of Irish beer including Guinness, Harp, and Smithwicks. Plus, you can mix it up with their mixed draughts like a Black and Tan (Bass Ale and Guinness).
On St. Patrick’s Day itself, expect quite a few party-goers hanging out and enjoying the live Irish music at The Harp, as well as lots of corned beef sandwiches and shepherd’s pies.
6. Slyman’s
3106 St Clair Ave NE, Cleveland (AsiaTown)
Slyman’s is famous for its delicious and ginormous corned beef sandwiches, and is a perfect choice to soak up any beer from St. Patrick’s Day celebrations! Enjoy their roast beef, corned beef, or pastrami on a sandwich or have it for breakfast with eggs and homefries.
This place is buzzing all day during St. Patrick’s Day and serves over 1,000 pounds of corned beef!
7. Parnell’s Irish Pub
1415 Euclid Ave, Cleveland (Downtown)
Serving up craft beer, Irish whiskey, and Irish beer and cider, Parnell’s Irish Pub in downtown Cleveland is a great spot to wander into before or after the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. They open their doors bright and early to celebrate the day!
8. PJ McIntyre’s Irish Pub
17119 Lorain Ave, Cleveland (Kamm’s Corners)
Voted the #1 Irish Pub in Ohio by Delish, PJ McIntyre’s is a fantastic spot to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Cleveland!
This place serves up a warm Irish welcome on St. Patrick’s Day with signs in Gaelic and friendly crowds. They even nail the smell of an Irish pub by burning turf like many traditional pubs do in Ireland.
Enjoy the tasty Irish food including a full Irish breakfast and partake in the day’s events here including a Lucky Charms eating contest as well as live Irish music, bagpipers, and dancing.
9. Hofbrauhaus Cleveland
1550 Chester Ave, Cleveland (Downtown)
While not an Irish pub by any means, Hofbrauhaus still throws it down on St. Patrick’s Day! Starting with kegs and eggs in the morning before the parade, they also serve up corned beef hash and bangers and mash throughout the day.
Plus, they’ve got all the live music and liters of beer to keep the celebration going all day and into the night.
10. Great Lakes Brewing Company
2516 Market Ave, Cleveland (Ohio City)
While not known as being an Irish pub, Great Lakes certainly gives off those vibes at the main bar area! Plus, they always make a big deal out of St. Patrick’s Day as well with live music, the Fatty Wagon bus transporting people to and from downtown for the parade, food specials, and plenty of Irish-inspired beer like Conway’s Irish Ale and Wolfhound Stout.
St. Patrick’s Day 5K
The St. Patrick’s Day 5K run is back this year in Cleveland! It’s taking place on March 17 in 2024. The race begins in the Warehouse District, goes past the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and ends on W 6th Street.
This is always a fun race, with people dressed up in costumes – and of course tons of green! (And the course is mostly flat!)
What to Wear for St. Patrick’s Day
Green, of course! Almost everyone gets dressed up for St. Patrick’s Day in Cleveland, with green shirts or pants, decorative hats, or other accessories. Local clothing brands like Cleveland Clothing Co. also always sell Cleveland-inspired gear for the holiday, too.
Which thing would you most like to do on St. Patrick’s Day?
Kat is a Cleveland transplant and has lived here for over 5 years. She loves to eat, drink, and explore all across the city, and has made it her personal mission to find the best breweries and pizza in Northeast Ohio. She also runs a couples travel blog and podcast called World Wide Honeymoon.