Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Block Party

So, I always thought that the St. Patrick’s Block Party and the parade were one in the same, but I guess I was wrong. Apparently, the parade is held on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day (unless St. Pat’s falls on a Saturday, than it’s day of) and the block party is on the actual day. Confusing.
Anyway, I have always had a good time going to this, the few times I have actually been able to get out there. It’s not really my thing, if it falls during the week, but if it’s on a weekend, then I am totally down. All of the bars are open and (most) are serving food, so you can walk up and down the block having a good time, eating, drinking and running into a bunch of people that you will probably know.
It’s something that every New Orleanian should do at least once.

The St. Patrick’s Block Party is something everyone should experience at least once.
The problem is that the parade is usually on a work day so I have always missed it. This past year I decided that taking the day off to attend was a wise use of my accrued vacation days.
The party primarily takes place in the block between Tracey’s and Parasol’s. Both locations have outside and inside bars for drinks, which are much less crowded than the bars inside. There are also a good number of portable toilets and despite staying till the cops shut it down, we never had to wait long to pee.
Drink prices were what you would expect at an event like this which is to say they were not cheap. Shannon’s idea about bringing drinks is a good one, and in the future, that is what I will do.
My buddy and I arrived shortly after lunch. The party was in full swing and fairly crowded, but once people started getting off of work the party got significantly more crowded. This party had some of the best people watching of any event I have been to. Some of the most memorable sights were the obviously high girl wearing no shirt and the extremely intoxicated older man with no shirt, but a completely green suit. I actually took a photo with him where he is trying to kiss me and I am flashing the shocker. Needless to say, that classy photo is sitting on my desk at work.
In summary, take off of work, and come to this party. When you see me, say hi.

This annual celebration is always held on St. Patrick’s day and usually starts around 10am and goes til around 8pm. This is a huge block party that stretches all around Tracy’s and Parasol’s bars from the intersection Magazine and 3^rd Street and overflows into adjacent streets. There is always a lively crowd of revelers having a good time and walking into the area is your best bet as the crowd usually prevents easy passage for several blocks in each direction. Bringing an ice chest is probably the safest bet to make sure you have a quick supply of beer/​booze as Tracy’s and Parasol’s are usually jam packed inside and they have outside drink stations set up but those can have long lines as well.