St. Patrick's Day 2016: Parades, Festivities and Fireworks in the Chicago Suburbs

With St. Patrick's Day falling on a Thursday this year (March 17), many area communities will be celebrating this weekend with parades and other Irish-themed festivities.

Chicago

The Chicago St. Patrick's Day parade will step off at noon on Saturday, March 12. The parade starts at Balbo and Columbus in downtown Chicago and will proceed north on Columbus Drive. The viewing stand will be located in front of Buckingham Fountain.

The dyeing of the Chicago River is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Saturday. The dyeing can be best viewed from the East side of the Michigan Avenue bridge, the West side of the Columbus Drive bridge or upper and lower Wacker Drive between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive.

Those interested in making the trip into the city are encouraged to start their trip early and to take public transportation as downtown typically becomes very crowded for the festivities. More information can be found on the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade website.

St. Charles

The St. Patrick's Day Parade in St. Charles will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 12 and will march along Main Street (Route 64) between Fourth Street and Sixth Avenue in downtown St. Charles. The parade features Irish dancers, authentic Irish music, floats and more.

Other festivities include the St. Patrick's Day Dance Show at 10 a.m. at the Arcada Theatre, a deck out your lucky dog contest and cookies and crafts from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at the St. Charles History Museum. More information on these events can be found on the Downtown St. Charles website.

The city will be closing streets during the parade and parking restrictions will be in place. More information on the traffic and parking advisories can be found here.

East Dundee/West Dundee

"Dublindee" festivities will kick off on Friday, March 11 with fireworks over the Fox River starting at 7:30 p.m. at Bandito Barney's, located at North River and Jackson streets in East Dundee.

The Thom McNamee Memorial St. Patrick's Day Parade will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday. The parade will march South from Wenholz Avenue and Water Street and then East on Barrington Avenue and then South on River Street, ending at Jackson Street.

The grandstand will be located on River Street just south of Barrington Avenue in front of the East Dundee Depot. The Dublindee Kilted 5K Run & Walk will start at 8:30 a.m. More information on the Dublinedee festivities can be found here.

Palatine

Palatine will be holdings it St. Patrick's "Paint the Town Green" festivities on the Saturday after St. Patrick's Day (March 19). The community’s 6th annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration will include a parade, Irish Market and festivities in various businesses throughout the town. The parade, which begins at 11 a.m., will feature 50 entries. The parade route can be found below.

The Irish Market will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. and will be located under a tent in the front parking lot of Durty Nellie's at 180 N. Smith Street next to the Palatine train station. The Irish Market will also provide musical and dance entertainment. In addition to Irish favorites, there will be a variety of music throughout the day. For more details on the Paint the Town Green festivities, visit here.

Naperville

The city's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 12 in downtown Naperville. The St. Paddy's Day 5K takes place prior to the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade is hosted by the West Suburban Irish. All residents are encouraged to donate a non-perishable food item to benefit the Loaves and Fishes Community Food Pantry.

• Traffic Control Plan (PDF)
• Parade and 5K Routes (PDF)

For more information about the St. Patrick's Day Parade, visit West Suburban Irish. For more information about the St. Paddy's Day 5K, visit www.stpaddysday5k.com.

Plainfield

The 14th Annual Plainfield Hometown Irish Parade will be held on Sunday, March 13. The parade steps off at1 pm from Plainfield High School-Central Campus. See the map of the Parade Route for details.

Barrington

The 6th Annual Barrington Celtic Fest will take place Thursday, March 17, through Saturday, March 19, in the 200 block Park Avenue, just East of South Cook Street and will include the McGonigal’s Pub & The Annex.

A huge heated festival tent will be put up over the majority of Park Avenue. The agenda for the weekend includes live music; a variety of entertainment including Irish dancers, bagpipers, special guest appearances, and options for food and beverages both in the outdoor festival area and the pub. Details on music, participants and food/drink vendors can be found here.

Lake Villa

Lake Villa will host its annual St. Patrick's Day Parade and Corn Beef & Cabbage Dinner on Saturday, March 12.

The parade begins at noon and steps off from Palombi Middle School, at 133 McKinley Avenue, and ends on Railroad Avenue by the Lake Villa VFW. A corn beef and cabbage dinner will be served (for a nominal fee) at the VFW, 130 E. Grand Ave., following the parade. A hot dog plate will also be available.