Press Contacts: Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau: Larry Meehan lmeehan@bostonusa.com direct line for media: 617-867-8231; Stacy Shreffler sshreffler@bostonusa.com, 617-867-8203.

Click here to view our 2008 Events Calendar: explore! Multicultural Boston

March 2008 Edition

Boston’s St. Patrick’s Celebration 2008

The St. Patrick’s Weekend March 14-16, 2008 is packed with concerts & the Boston Sunday parade, 

which draws more than a half-million visitors.

This year's celebration spans over the entire month; includes both Irish festivals & many other events -

from Celtic Woman to the Dropkick Murphy’s, pub touring to 4th annual Gaelic Gourmet Week.

BOSTON- Boston - the most-Irish of American cities - offers visitors parades, performances, Irish dining, festivals, Irish heritage walking Trail, special exhibits and more on St. Patrick’s Weekend March 14-16, 2008.

Boston & Cambridge begin their celebration early in March and continue with events every weekend. The concerts and events begin March 1 and continue through March 16, 2008 when the Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes place

Visit the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau www.BostonUSA.com website for constantly updated info on St. Patrick’s Weekend and special weekend hotel offers.

Boston’s St. Patrick’s Parade 2008 information, followed by highlights of the Boston St. Patrick’s Celebration 2008:

• The 107^th annual Boston St. Patrick's Day parade will begin at 1:00pm Sunday March 16, 2008 in South Boston, a distinctly Irish neighborhood jutting into Boston Harbor. The parade features dozens of bands from Ireland and across the United States, including local favorites like Boston Police Gaelic Column, composed of Boston police officers. The 107th annual parade begins its route at the Broadway “T” station , heads east along Broadway and winds its way through the streets of South Boston, ending at the Andrew “T” station. Both stations are on the “T” Red Line, so it’s very easy to get to the parade without driving and parking.  Click here for a detailed map of the parade or go to www.southieparade.org.

• The first ever St. Patrick's Day celebration in America happened in 1737 in Boston and the city still boasts one of the USA's biggest St Patrick's Day parties.

• The state of Massachusetts presents seven St. Patrick’s Parades--- and Manchester, New Hampshire offer an eighth choice for visitors, just an hour north of Boston. Here are the dates of the 2008 St. Patrick's Day parades: Abington, Sunday, March 16 at 1:00pm, Boston, Sunday, March 16 (the biggest of course) at 1:00pm, Cape Cod, Saturday March 8 at 11am, Holyoke, Sunday, March 30 at 12:00 noon, Lawrence, Sunday, March 9 at 1:00pm, Scituate, Sunday, March 16 at 1pm, Worcester, Sunday, March 9 at 12:00 noon, and Manchester, NH, Sunday, March 30 at 12:00 noon.

Highlights of the Boston St. Patrick’s Celebration 2008:    

• Frank McNamara's "If You're Irish," Friday, March 14, 2008  Featuring a full orchestra, large chorus and three soloists from Ireland, tenor Derek Moloney, soprano Deirdre Shannon and fiddler Cora Smyth.  Frank McNamara brings this exciting new show to Lowell, MA at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium at 7:30pm.  Visit www.lowellauditorium.com or www.smart-arts.net. 
   

• The Chieftains, Symphony Hall, Friday, March 14, 2008  The Chieftains are the finest practitioners of traditional Irish music, with lively Gaelic introductions, rollicking reels and seamless step-dances.  Visit www.celebrityseries.org for more information.
   

• "Synthesis: An Evening of Contemporary Celtic Dance," The Dance Complex, Friday, March 14, 2008  Start off St. Patrick’s Day weekend with a very special evening of Celtic-rooted modern dance. Darrah Carr Dance specializes in ModERIN: a unique blend of traditional Irish step and contemporary modern dance. Turnstyles Dance Project draws from contemporary, Irish, and Scottish dance techniques, expanding traditional forms into new expressions of full-bodied, modern dance.  Nicholas Yenson is a world-traveled Irish dance performer and an emerging choreographer in contemporary Irish dance.  For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.dancecomplex.org.  
   

• Reagle Players Presents: A Little Bit of Ireland, Waltham, March 14-16, 2008  Come celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the Reagle Players for their 9th edition of "A Little Bit of Ireland" at the Robinson Theatre in Waltham, MA.  For more information, visit www.reagleplayers.com.  
   

• St. Patrick's Day Benefit Concert, Milton, Saturday, March 15, 2008  A St. Patrick's Day concert to benefit the Jimmy Fund and Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  Local Irish musicians and dancers will perform at this benefit located at the Milton High School Auditorium.
   

• Darrah Carr Dance - Traditional Irish Step, Saturday, March 15, 2008  Celebrate St. Patrick's Day by joining the champion Irish step dancers of Darrah Carr Dance.  This high energy performance features live musical selections on the spoons and accordion as well as a whirlwind look at the history, costumes and traditions of Irish dance.  JFK Library & Museum, www.jfklibrary.org.  
   

• Leprechauns Wanted at 75 Chestnut, March 15-17, 2008

  Put on your Irish Best and come to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your friends at 75 Chestnut! There will be much for you to enjoy so be sure to stop by for green beer, Guinness, specialty martinis, a full menu available ALL NIGHT, corned beef and cabbage, Irish beef stew, festive décor and music and fabulous prizes (may the luck of the Irish be with you!). For reservations or more information call 617-227-2175 or visit www.75chestnut.com.

   

• Ras na hEireann 5K Road Race, Davis Square, Somerville, Sunday, March 16, 2008  Ras na hEireann is the most genuine Irish race this side of the Atlantic. It is a celebration of traditions dating back centuries—and simply a celebration of spring in Somerville, Massachusetts. Limited to 2,500 runners, the race was born in Ireland and named in honor of its famous sister race, the Ras na hEireann International Cross Country held in Termonfechin, County Louth, Republic of Ireland. The Ras na hEireann U.S.A. 5Km is open to all, from beginners to international stars. The race will be held on Sunday, March 16, starting at 11:00 a.m., beginning and ending in Davis Square. There will be loads of Craic—a celebration and appreciation of heritage and history, the magic and mystery that move everyone to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. It is competitive too. Course records were set in 2006 in both the men and women’s races, and they were among the fastest in New England. Irishman Mark Kenneally of Dublin, Ireland sped to 14:19, and Maria McCambridge of Dublin, Ireland glided to 15:12.  For more information, visit www.baevents.net/rasnaheireann.

• Lord of the Dance, Lowell, Sunday, March 16, 2008  Witness Michael Flatley, the first American to win the All-World Championship in Irish Dance and the holder of The Guinness Book of World Records "world's fastest feet" title.  For more information, visit www.lowellauditorium.com.  

• Dropkick Murphys in concert , Paradise Rock Club, March 16 & 17, 2008   The beloved punk juggernaut born in Boston-band Dropkick Murphys will play in concert including their hit  “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” prominently featured in the new Martin Scorsese film “The Departed.”  

• Charitable Irish Society's 270th Anniversary Dinner, Monday, March 17, 2008  Hosted at the Union Club in Boston, tickets and more information are available at www.charitableirishsociety.org.   

• St. Patrick's Day Celtic Sojourn, Somerville Theatre, Monday, March 17, 2008  This concert will offer a diverse and top-quality program of Irish music, song, and step dance. Performers include: Karan Casey, Buille, and John Spillane. Kieran Jordan Dancers will perform eye-catching and upbeat Irish dances with guest musicians Amanda Cavanaugh (fiddle) and Sean Gannon (accordion).  For more information, visit www.somervilletheatreonline.com.   
   
• CELEBRATE ST. PATRICK’S DAY…YOUR WAY at Harvard Square’s Grafton Street Pub & Grill, March 15-17, 2008. New Executive Chef Matthew Richey is putting together a traditional holiday menu, complete with items like Shepherd’s Pie and Corned Beef with Cabbage, and the Guinness will be following all day long! No cover charge. Visit www.graftonstreetcambridge.com or call 617-497-0400. Head on over to Harvard Square to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Grafton Street, where you’ll enjoy the welcoming comfort of a traditional Irish pub in a contemporary restaurant/pub setting. With no cover charge, you can stop in for a quick pint, or stay for an entire meal. Starting on Saturday, enjoy Executive Chef Matthew Richey’s spirited take on other traditional Irish offerings, including Lamb and Beef Shepherd’s Pie and Slow-Cooked Corned Beef With Cabbage, Potatoes, Carrots and Parsnips;. Top it all off with a pint of Guinness for extra vitamins and minerals, or better yet, try one of Grafton Street’s signature cocktails. Traditional Irish tunes all day long; DJ from 10 PM to 2 AM.