Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade is officially the South Boston St. Patrick's Day / Evacuation Day Parade, run by the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council. It marches through South Boston on the Sunday closest to March 17 at 11:30 a.m., and the MBTA says up to a million people attend. South Boston ("Southie") is not the South End; the two are different Boston neighborhoods. Details below come from the organizer, the City of Boston, the Boston Police Department and the MBTA, checked October 7, 2026.
When is the 2027 South Boston parade?
The organizer says the parade is held each year on the Sunday closest to March 17. In 2027, March 17 falls on a Wednesday, so the closest Sunday is March 14, and Meet Boston, the city's convention and visitors bureau, lists the 2027 parade for Sunday, March 14, 2027, at 11:30 a.m. On October 7, 2026 the organizer's own site still showed the 2026 parade, and the City and the MBTA published their 2026 parade-day plans less than a week ahead, so confirm the date on southbostonparade.org before booking travel.
| Edition | Date and start | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, March 15, 2026, 11:30 a.m. | Held; confirmed by the organizer, the City and the MBTA |
| 2027 | Sunday, March 14, 2027, 11:30 a.m. | Listed by Meet Boston; not yet posted by the organizer |
| Pattern | The Sunday closest to March 17 | Organizer's stated rule |
The same morning, the City's 2026 traffic advisory listed the Edgerley Family South Boston Club's St. Patrick's Day 5K, starting at 9:00 a.m. from the South Boston Boys and Girls Club on West Sixth Street, so some streets close well before the parade.
The parade route
The route is not fixed. For 2026 the City of Boston said the parade used the "historical" route in reverse, with East Sixth Street in place of East Fifth Street. It was published as follows:
| Order | Street |
|---|---|
| Start | Andrew Square, then up Dorchester Street |
| Thomas Park | Right onto Telegraph Street and around the southerly arm of Thomas Park, past Dorchester Heights |
| G Street to K Street | Left on G Street, right onto East Sixth Street, left on K Street |
| East Fourth and P Street | Right on East Fourth Street, left on P Street |
| Broadway | Left on East Broadway, bear right onto West Broadway |
| Finish | Right onto A Street, by Broadway station |
The organizer advises checking the route before you go, because weather can change it, and the City has published a separate snow route in past years. The direction has also flipped between years: older organizer guidance describes a start at Broadway station and a finish at Andrew. Treat the route above as the 2026 version; the City published it on March 12, 2026, three days before the parade, and will do the same for 2027.
Where to watch
The organizer's own advice depends on what you want. For the biggest crowds and restaurants along the route, it points to Broadway, especially between Broadway station and L Street. To avoid the densest crowds, it suggests Medal of Honor Park, Thomas Park, or any part of the route other than Broadway. Thomas Park is the green around the Dorchester Heights Monument, where, according to the National Park Service, the fortification of March 4, 1776 led the British to leave Boston. The MBTA notes that people arrive early to claim spots along the route, so plan to be in place well before 11:30 a.m. if you want a curbside view.
The Boston Police Department said parade organizers added more public restrooms along the 2026 route, and asked visitors to treat the neighborhood "as if it were your home." Police also warned hosts of house parties against using roofs without a designated roof deck, which are not built to hold people.
Getting there: Broadway and Andrew on the Red Line
Andrew and Broadway are both Red Line stations, and in 2026 the parade started at Andrew Square and finished by Broadway station. From downtown, Broadway is the first stop south of South Station. The City and the MBTA both advise against driving: South Boston has parking bans on the route and cars in restricted areas are towed starting at 2 a.m. In 2026 the MBTA ran this plan:
| What | 2026 arrangement (MBTA) |
|---|---|
| Red Line | Rush-hour service from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; trains may bypass Broadway when crowds are heavy. |
| Free shuttle | South Station (Summer Street at Atlantic Avenue) to the City Point Bus Terminal on East First Street, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; last trip back at 4:30 p.m. |
| Buses | Routes that normally serve Andrew and Broadway were detoured around the parade area for most of the day. |
| Commuter Rail | Extra cars; the $10 weekend pass covers all lines and zones but not the subway or bus. |
| Bikes | Not allowed anywhere on the MBTA on parade day, including folding bikes. |
Expect long waits on the Red Line, especially going home after the parade, and buy fares in advance: the MBTA suggests tapping a contactless card or loading about $5 on a CharlieCard for a round trip. The Marine Park Garage on Drydock Avenue offered reduced parking in 2026, but only for cars with a South Boston resident sticker. Our guide to riding the T covers fares and lines.
Alcohol, bags and police rules
The Boston Police Department's 2026 notice said public drinking, open containers and providing alcohol to minors are illegal and lead to seizure of the alcohol and arrest; publicly consuming marijuana is illegal; and violent or destructive behavior will not be tolerated. It asked people not to bring backpacks, large purses or large bags, and asked parents to come with younger children and teens rather than let them attend alone. The MBTA bans drinking and smoking on vehicles and in stations, and its Transit Police add officers on parade day.
South Boston also shuts down early. On parade day in 2026, police said all package stores in South Boston would close at 4:00 p.m., and bars and restaurants with tavern licenses would admit no one after 6:30 p.m., stop serving at 7:00 p.m. and clear patrons by 7:30 p.m. If you plan to eat or drink after the parade, do it downtown or elsewhere in the city.
| Rule (2026, Boston Police) | Detail |
|---|---|
| Public drinking and open containers | Illegal; alcohol seized and arrest possible |
| Bags | No backpacks, large purses or large bags |
| Package stores in South Boston | Closed at 4:00 p.m. |
| Bars and restaurants in South Boston | No entry after 6:30 p.m.; last service 7:00 p.m.; patrons out by 7:30 p.m. |
| Roofs | Only designated roof decks, within occupancy limits |
Where to stay
A hotel near a Red Line station makes the day easy. South Station is one stop from Broadway and is where the free shuttle leaves, so a hotel within walking distance of it is the simplest choice; see things to do near South Station. For the rest of your trip, our things to do in Boston in March, winter planner and spring guide list what else is on, and the Boston events calendar shows the rest of the year.
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Evacuation Day and a short history
The parade honors two things on the same date. March 17 is St. Patrick's Day, and it is also Evacuation Day: on the night of March 4, 1776, Continental forces fortified Dorchester Heights with cannon, and two weeks later, on March 17, 1776, British forces evacuated Boston, according to the National Park Service. The marble-clad Dorchester Heights Monument, from 1902, stands on the hill inside Thomas Park, on the parade route. The 2026 parade fell in the 250th anniversary year of the evacuation.
The organizer says Boston's Irish community held St. Patrick's Day festivities as early as March 17, 1737, and that the early parades ran downtown under the Ancient Order of Hibernians. In 1901 the parade moved to South Boston, home to a large Irish community and to Dorchester Heights, and since then it has celebrated both Irish heritage and military service. After the 1947 parade, Mayor James Michael Curley gave the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council authority to run it, and the council, drawn from South Boston's VFW and American Legion posts, has organized it since 1948. Each year it names a chief marshal; for 2026 it was Col. Tim Murphy of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, a South Boston native. The Boston Police Department called the 2026 event the 121st St. Patrick's Day parade in South Boston. For more on the city's Revolutionary sites, see historical things to do in Boston.
Sources: South Boston St. Patrick's Day / Evacuation Day Parade (organizer), organizer history, about the SBAWVC, organizer FAQ, organizer directions, City of Boston 2026 parade traffic advisory, Boston Police Department 2026 parade guidance, Boston Police Department, the 121st parade, MBTA St. Patrick's Day Guide, MBTA 2026 parade announcement, Meet Boston, 2027 parade date, National Park Service, Dorchester Heights. Checked October 7, 2026.