St. Patrick's Day 2025: 4 GA Towns Rank Among Best Places To Celebrate

GEORGIA — Four Georgia cities should be kept in mind when observing St. Patrick's Day as they were named among the best places to celebrate the popular Irish holiday.

Personal-finance website WalletHub released on Wednesday its 2025 Best Cities to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day, with Savannah peaking at No. 3 among the top 200 for the second consecutive year.

The cities on the best list were scored out of 100 points based on their rankings in the following categories: St. Patrick's Day traditions, St. Patrick's Day weather, safety and accessibility and costs.

“St. Patrick’s Day celebrates the Irish, but it’s become a beloved cultural holiday for millions of
Americans regardless of their ancestry," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in a news release. "The best cities for St. Patrick’s Day combine rich traditions with tasty and affordable food, safe conditions to celebrate, and good weather. Celebrating in one of these cities will increase your chances of having a memorable holiday, as long as you don’t overdo it.”

See how Georgia cities fared on the top 200 list:

• Savannah, rank No. 3, total score of 63.82
• Atlanta, No. 107, total score of 46.69
• Columbus, No. 138, total score of 43.90
• Augusta, No. 125, total score of 45.20

Atlanta, Columbus and Augusta all dropped down a few spots since the 2024 best list, but Savannah's score has remained consistent.

According to WalletHub, around 500,000 visitors visit Savannah to attend the seventh-oldest St. Patrick's Day parade and the Celtic Cross Ceremony, and also to partake in other traditions.

"St. Patrick’s Day is heavily associated with drinking, and Savannah has more bars per capita than any other city," WalletHub reported.

This year's 201st parade will begin at 10:15 a.m. Monday at the intersection of Gwinnett and Abercorn streets. The festivity features floats, dancers and marching bands and gathers visitors from across the world, according to the city event site.

"Locals and visitors look forward to the parade all year as it is Savannah's largest event. So famous, that dedicated attendees will camp out along the parade route to ensure they have the best views," read the site.

The top 10 best places to celebrate St. Patrick's Day were as follows:

1. Boston, Massachusetts
2. Reno, Nevada
3. Savannah, Georgia
4. Santa Rosa, California
5. Worcester, Massachusetts
6. Chicago, Illinois
7. New York, New York
8. Henderson, Nevada
9. Buffalo, New York
10. Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

St. Patrick's Day is traditionally observed on March 17 in recognition of the missionary Saint Patrick, the primary patron saint of Ireland who was born in Great Britain.

Those who celebrate the Irish holiday usually paint the town green, a color that "originated as a symbol of rebellious Irish nationalism," the History Channel stated. A myth states that people who wear green become invisible to leprechauns while anyone caught not wearing green may be subject to the leprechaun's pinch.

Though modern-day St. Augustine, Florida, was home to the earliest recorded St. Patrick's parade in 1601, New York's parade is deemed the oldest and largest as it travels along over a mile up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

>> See WalletHub's full report here.