St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and Charleston is gearing up to celebrate this big day. While most of us associate St. Patty’s Day with green clovers and the Luck of the Irish, there’s an interesting history that goes along with this annual celebration.
March 17 is the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. He is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland and is also the legendary figure that drove the “snakes” of Ireland far out into the sea. However, over the years, this holiday has evolved from one that was solely religious into one that is secular and celebrates Irish heritage. People of all backgrounds join together to celebrate this holiday by wearing green, going to pub crawls and eating corned beef and cabbage.
Local Charleston St. Patty’s Day Events
We’ve put together a list of fun St. Patrick’s Day events in the greater Charleston, South Carolina area.
- Charleston St. Patrick’s Day Parade - Held on Thursday, March 17, 2022, the day begins with mass at 8:00 AM at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, followed by a parade at 10:00 AM. The parade starts at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, located on the corner of Radcliffe Street and Saint Philip Street, continues down King Street to Broad Streets and concludes at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. This family-friendly event will feature fire trucks, marching bands, military units, local team mascots, dancers, fiddlers and even Charleston’s very own Irish step dancer. After the parade, Charleston City Hall will be raising the Tri-Color flag of Ireland.
- Luck of the Irish 5K - Celebrate the fifth annual Luck of the Irish 5K event this year on St. Patty’s Day. Sign up and complete this event anytime in March 2022. Fifteen percent of all proceeds will be donated to the National Hemophilia Foundation. While the race is virtual this year, you can easily set your own pace and time it yourself, or better yet, pair up with a buddy and earn more money for this worthwhile charity.
- 5th Annual Lucky’s St. Patrick’s Day Crawl - If you can’t get enough of St. Patrick’s Day, then this annual day crawl might be for you! Held on Saturday, March 19, 2022, from 4:00 PM to 12:00 midnight, this event features a costume contest, exclusive drink specials and more! Make sure to purchase your tickets in advance.
Family-Friendly Stay-At-Home Activities
If you prefer to have a more family-friendly approach to St. Patrick’s Day this year, look no further than these easy kid-friendly activities.
- Bake Soda Bread - This traditional Irish soda bread has simple ingredients, and you can share traditional fare with your kids this year.
- Irish Meal - Make an Irish meal, such as corned beef and cabbage or traditional beef stew. Both pair well with Irish soda bread.
- Decorate Cookies - Get a shamrock cookie cutter and have a shamrock cookie decorating contest for both kids and adults. Make sure you have plenty of green icing on hand!
- Irish Music - Celebrate and add authentic ambiance to the air by listening to traditional Irish music while making dinner and decorating cookies.