Arts & Entertainment
Aurora Replaces St. Patrick's Day Parade With 'Bar Crawl'-Style Event
Budget played a role in the change, an Aurora representative told Patch.
AURORA, IL — Aurora is replacing its annual St. Patrick's Day parade this year with a "bar crawl"-style event, city officials confirmed.
What this means is from March 14-15, 15 downtown Aurora businesses "are set to go green, and bring the Irish cheer," Communications Manager Jon Zaghloul told Patch. Hosted by the nonprofit Aurora Downtown District and the City of Aurora, the festive event is similar in style to the monthly First Fridays itineraries.
The St. Patrick's Day social promises festive food specials, themed drinks — including green beer — live entertainment, family-friendly fun and "shamrock-worthy surprises."
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Asked the reason for the change in plans, Zaghloul shared two:
"The primary reason is that there was significant community interest in hosting a more interactive event that resembled a 'bar crawl' atmosphere, he said. "Additionally, with the event taking place in partnership with the Aurora Downtown District, there is little to no cost to the City, which helped considering the budget challenges that took place heading into 2026."
Find out what's happening in Aurorafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Zaghloul did not say whether or not the parade would return in the future.
These businesses are participating:
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