Alexandria’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade may have come and gone, but there are plenty more festivities coming to Alexandria celebrating the Emerald Isle.
Across the city, upcoming events include multiple bar crawls, live performances of Irish music and a feline-friendly “St. Catrick’s Day” at Mount Purrnon Cat Café + Wine Bar.
It was a cool but clear day on Saturday as the 43rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade passed through Old Town.
Dozens of pipe bands, Irish dance schools, community groups and local businesses marched along Alexandria’s historic streets for the event, which is hosted by the nonprofit Ballyshaners, Inc, whose name translates to “Old Towners” in Gaelic.
Free Lyft rides will be available on St. Patrick’s Day as part of a D.C.-area nonprofit’s efforts to curb drunk driving.
Free rides totaling up to $15 will be available on Lyft from 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 17 through 4 a.m. the next morning, courtesy of the Washington Regional Alcohol Program’s SoberRide initiative.
A festive afternoon of Irish dancing, pipe bands and emerald-green outfits and decorations is returning soon to Old Town.
The Ballyshaners‘ 43rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is expected to draw thousands of spectators to celebrate alongside a lineup of performers and community organizers. Local dignitaries plan to kick off festivities at noon Saturday, March 7, with the parade stepping off at 12:30 p.m.
A new Sichuan restaurant is opening soon in Arlandria.
Vienna-based Chili Wok is planning on expanding with a new location at 3829 Mount Vernon Avenue in the Del Ray North shopping center.
Alexandria is bracing for a vibrant, emerald-tinged weekend as St. Patrick’s Day approaches. Celebrations kick off Friday, March 14, and continue through the traditional holiday on Monday, March 17, 2025. From traditional Irish pubs to quirky cat cafes, the city offers diverse festivities to suit every reveler.
Pubs at the Heart of the Celebration
Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. North wind 6 to 8 mph becoming east in the afternoon. Tonight - Increasing clouds, with a low around 42. East wind 5 to 8 mph.
The Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) is bringing back its St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide program this weekend.
From noon on Sunday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) until midnight, residents 21 and older who have been drinking can input a SoberRide code into their Lyft app and receive a no-cost (up to $15) trip home.
He’s not remotely Irish, but Alexandria restaurant owner “Mango” Mike Anderson is the grand marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday.
A local celebrity of sorts, Anderson will lead the parade down King Street and to the reviewing stand on Royal Street in the heart of Old Town.
Alexandria knows how to throw a great parade, and the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 2, should be a good one.
The parade will start at the intersection of King and St. Asaph streets and move east along King Street to Lee Street. From there the parade turns north one block then heads back west along Cameron Street to the Pitt Street intersection.
Need to get your Irish on? While Alexandria’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been pushed off until September, there are two Irish-themed bar crawls coming to the city in the days ahead.
The Shamrock Stampede will descend on Alexandria’s Carlyle neighborhood on Saturday, March 12. Participating restaurants include Whiskey & Oyster, Sweet Fire Donna’s, Tequila & Taco, Lost Boy Cider and Joe Theismann’s Restaurant.
