Given that St Patrick’s Day falls on a weekend this year, you really have no excuse not to throw on your best green gear and celebrate all things Irish in our home turf.
There’s the St Patrick’s Street Festival that SKYCITY is hosting on March 16 at Federal Street. For the very first time, Federal Street is going to come alive with the sights and sounds of Irish traditions. Expect there to be food, entertainment, and plenty of fun family activities. You can also order Guinness at the special pop-up bar to be set up under the Sky Tower.
On the evening of March 16, you can watch landmark locations around Auckland light up green to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. In the city, you can see the Sky Tower and the Auckland Harbour Bridge go green for the night.
And on the actual day of St Patrick’s Day, we’ve got ourselves a parade! On March 17, the Hugh Green Group St Patrick’s Day Parade is returning to Queen Street for its 25th anniversary. The parade is on from 12pm-1pm and because of the time difference, this is said to be the first St Patrick’s Day parade in the world, and the only one in the Southern Hemisphere. The parade features Irish-inspired floats, traditional music and dancing, marching bands, leprechauns, and of course St Patrick himself.
After the parade, festivities continue on Queen Street (between Wakefield Street and Mayoral Drive, near Aotea Square and the Auckland Town Hall) at the Irish Music and Dance Festival where you can carry on with your celebrations.
And last but not least, make your way to an Irish bar and DRINK!
