Naperville has been named among the top ten cities in the U.S. for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, in a ranking by personal finance website WalletHub.
Naperville No. 8 for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations
Naperville landed at No. 8 in the site’s listing of “2023’s Best Cities for St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations.”
200 of the country’s most populated cities were compared for the rankings, taking into account factors like weather, St. Patrick’s Day traditions, costs, and safety & accessibility. Each of those categories was evaluated using 15 different metrics, such as Irish pubs & restaurants per capita, parades, and walkability, all of which were given different weights.
Naperville tops for some categories
For the category of “Costs,” Naperville landed in the No. 1 slot, meaning it was the most affordable for the holiday of those surveyed. That’s when taking into account the combination of average beer price, the lowest price of a three-star hotel during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, and affordable 4+ star Irish pubs and restaurants.
Naperville also reportedly had the highest percentage of population of Irish descent of the cities in the study.
Cities at the top of the list
Topping the list for best U.S. city for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations was Boston, Massachusetts. Second was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Chicago coming in third.
St. Patrick’s Day fun in Naperville
Naperville will start off its St. Patrick’s Day festivities this weekend. On Saturday, March 11, the West Suburban Irish will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
The theme this time around is “New Beginnings.” Floats, bands, entertainers, and even St. Patrick himself will all be part of the parade festivities. It starts at 10 a.m., kicking off at Naperville North High School, then heading down Mill Street on a route through downtown Naperville.
More information about the parade is available on the West Suburban Irish website.
Prior to the parade will be the 14th annual St. Paddy’s Day 5K Walk/Run, hosted by the Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise. It kicks off at 8 a.m., starting at the corner of Jackson Avenue and West Street. There will also be a costume contest, with a $100 prize for best St. Paddy’s Day outfit.
Proceeds from the run support the Little Friends Family Respite Program, Inside Out Club fee assistance and character-building programs, and fee assistance for students attending Naperville YMCA Safe n’ Sound programming.
More information is available on the race website.
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