I’m a hooligan for St. Patrick’s Day — always have been. So I’m extra excited to bring you this month’s guide. However, there’s also plenty of non-day-drinking activities to explore all month long.
St. Patrick’s Day Observed
As Chicagoans, you should know the city gets down the weekend before the actual March 17 holiday. This year, that begins March 14. Plan on getting to, or avoiding, the Loop accordingly. (That goes for Wrigleyville, too.)
River dyeing starts at 10 a.m. and the best place to watch is between State and Columbus. Keep in mind, it’ll be a madhouse. Get there early (or just surrender yourself to the chaos of the street).
Other festivities:
- March 14: The city’s annual Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade begins at noon and stretches between Balbo and Monroe on Columbus Drive. This year’s theme is a nod to Pope Leo XIV.
- March 14: Shamrock'n at Old St. Pat's in West Loop starts at 11 a.m. It’s got beer and bands!
- March 14 and 15: A festival at The Irish American Heritage Center in Mayfair continues all weekend.
- March 15: The South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade begins at noon at 103rd and Western in Beverly and ends at 115th and Western in Morgan Park.
- March 15: The Northwest Irish Parade begins at noon at Neola and Raven, then turns onto Northwest Highway and ends at Harlem Avenue.
If your antics leave you hankering for pub food, I recommend Chief O’Neill’s for live music and shepherd’s pie and Pleasant House in Bridgeport for bangers and mash.
Primary Elections
Another Chicago tradition? Competitive political primaries. This is often when elections are decided in this city, so study up and get to the polls.
Election Day is March 17 but early voting is now open citywide! Regardless of where you live, anyone can vote early at those 50 sites, and same-day registration is available. If you wait till the final day, you’ll need to hit your local polling place. Check it here. Meanwhile, the deadline to request a mail-in ballot is March 12, but the sooner the better.
As for filling out your ballot, here are the races we’re keeping a close eye on. For more details on each candidate, consider perusing these heavily researched voting guides:
- Chicago Public Media's guide and WTTW’s guide both allow you to easily compare candidates.
- Injustice Watch’s guide offers helpful details for evaluating judicial candidates. (This year, though, many are running uncontested.)
- There are also independent guides: Girl, I Guess is a progressive option with a casual tone and Chicago Votes aims to appeal to young voters.
Moral of the story: Get out there and vote! Here at City Cast Chicago, we will keep reminding you.
👇👇👇 March is also Women’s History Month! Stay tuned to our events section, where we’ll be highlighting opportunities to celebrate and learn all month long.
