With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner comes an annual celebration that includes music, floats and traditional dances. While the festival is well known for its food and drinks, attention also shifts to the parades that fill the streets across the nation, celebrating the Irish heritage and culture. From Chicago to New Orleans, here are the 10 best parades across the nation:

1. Chicago, Illinois:

Home to a good chunk of the Irish-American population, Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade begins a day early, on March 16. This tradition dates back to 1843, and in current times, the Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band hosts the three-hour event, which draws hundreds of thousands of fans to see floats, marching bands, and more. Additionally, the Chicago River is also dyed a bright shade of green, simply adding to the lively atmosphere, and enticing tourists.

2. New York City, New York:

The New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade tradition originated in 1762. Since then, it has evolved to become a great spectacle, drawing hundreds of people to the streets of Fifth Avenue. With around 150,000 marchers annually, the procession starts at East 44th Street and heads uptown to East 79th Street.

3. Boston, Massachusetts:

Dating back to 1737, the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade pays homage to both Evacuation Day and Irish history. This year’s procession will begin at Broadway T station on March 17, promising an unusual combination of military troops and green-clad marchers for onlookers to enjoy.

4. Denver, Colorado:

Despite a smaller Irish-American population living here, Denver also orchestrates a spectacular St. Patrick’s Day Parade. First enjoyed in 1889, on March 16, the procession goes through downtown streets, drawing in up to 3 million people annually.

5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which has been held for nearly 250 years, will return on March 10 with about 20,000 participants. The parade begins at 16th and JFK and has adopted the theme “St. Patrick, Bless Philadelphia with a New Dawn of Hope.”

6. Savannah, Georgia:

Savannah’s 200th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, noted for its colorful fountains, begins on March 16 to commemorate the city’s Irish ancestry with approximately 280 marching groups and 15,000 participants.

7. Detroit, Michigan:

On March 10, Corktown, Detroit’s oldest district, celebrates a lively St. Patrick’s Day Parade, attracting 100,000 people to see the celebration of Irish culture and tradition.

8. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which dates back to 1869, draws approximately 350,000 people to downtown streets on March 16 and features more than 200 marching units and floats.

9. San Francisco, California:

California’s largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, slated for March 16, promises a spectacular procession of floats, musicians, and dancing troupes that will entertain crowds of up to 100,000 people.

10. New Orleans, Louisiana:

New Orleans has a month-long celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, culminating with the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 16. The procession, named after the area’s Irish immigrant community, incorporates floating green beads and Irish stew components.

As March approaches, communities around the United States prepare for these exciting St. Patrick’s Day parades, which highlight the country’s long standing admiration for Irish culture and tradition.

By Jenel Treza Albuquerque