One of the most celebrated days in Hartford is quickly approaching! Do you have your game plan? Whether you plan to celebrate on parade day, save yourself for the official holiday, or you have the Irish spirit and are ready to take on both, we’re here to help you make the most out of St. Patrick’s Day here in Hartford!

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Parade Day

The 51st Greater Hartford St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The parade takes place on March 11th and kickstarts the celebrations. The parade begins at the Capitol Building at 11:00 am and continues down Capitol Avenue. It then takes a left onto Main Street, a left onto Asylum Street, and finally another left onto Ford Street to finish at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch. With over 60,000 parade participants, it’s one of the most exciting days in the city. 

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Parade Day Specials and Events

After the parade, we highly recommend sticking around Downtown for the rest of the day. We’ve pulled together a list of bars and restaurants offering specials:

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Parade to Pratt—Pratt Street Historic District

One of Hartfords oldest streets will be buzzin’ after the parade! You can expect live music from Below the Gaff from 12:00–4:00 pm. Come early to score a free koozie! The street will be lined with outdoor bars and food specials from Vaughan's Irish Public House, Sunberry Restaurant and Bar, and Sorella. Vaughan’s is currently Hartford’s only Irish pub and it has been voted Best Guinness in CT—don’t leave for the day without enjoying a pint! Sláinte!

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Other Parade Day Parties:

• Red Rock Tavern will open at 8:00 am to serve a pre-parade breakfast of pancakes, eggs, home fries, bacon, and sausage for participants and patrons alike. Later in the day, they will also be offering a selection of corned beef dishes and Guinness beef stew. To top it all off, they’ll have green mimosas and beer to wash it down!
• First and Last Tavern Hartford will serve corned beef sandwiches until 4:00pm.
• Parkville Market will have a banner in the parade inviting you to join their after party Guinness and green beer while listening to live Irish music. 
• Spigot Cafe will offer specials on Guinness, Jameson, and Tullamore Dew!

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St. Patrick’s Day

Don’t worry, there's more! On St. Patrick’s Day, Hartford will still be celebrating! Here are our recommendations: 

• Tisane will be open from 10:00 am–2:00 pm and will have live entertainment throughout. Pay tribute to a longtime favorite haunt of ours—The Half Door. The staff from the now-closed Half Door will be joining the party to celebrate their favorite holiday. 
• Parkville Market will be serving green beer and Guinness as well as hosting Scoil Rince Luimni (SRL) Dance Academy for a special Irish dance performance. 
• First and Last Tavern Hartford will be serving corned beef dinners all day. 

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The countdown is on! Gather your green and practice your jig! We can’t wait to see you. However you decide to celebrate, be sure to tag @experiencehartford.