It’s not just the luck of the Irish that Virginians are so passionate about St. Patrick’s Day. So many Irishmen settled in Virginia in the 1700s that the Shenandoah Valley was once known as the “Irish Tract.” Whether you’re tracing your Celtic roots or just in it for the Guinness, cities across the Commonwealth have you covered with events embracing the emerald.
Roanoke kicks off festivities with bagpipes, beer, and cheer at the Freedom First St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Shamrock Festival, March 15 (DowntownRoanoke.org)
Richmond welcomes revelry at Scott’s Addition’s Shamrock the Block, March 15, and family-friendly Irish culture at the Church Hill Irish Festival, March 15–16 (ShamrockTheBlock.com; ChurchHillIrishFestival.com).
Norfolk’s Granby Street goes green with its annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, March 15 (NorfolkParade.com).
VA Irish Fest brings live music and Irish dancers to shamrock-decked crowds in Ashburn, March 15 (VAIrishFest.com).
Later in the month, the Sedalia Center hosts the Celtic Festival and Highland Games in Big Island March 29, with highland athletics, pipes and drums, scotch tasting, and highland dancers (SedaliaCenter.org).
This article originally appeared in the April 2025 issue.
