Washington, March 16:  It's that time of year again when more than a million green-clad revellers fill the streets of America's most Irish big city for the South Boston St. Patrick's Day parade, celebrating the heritage and contributions of all those who hail from the Emerald Isle. Sunday's parade dates back to the turn of the 20th century and marks both St. Patrick's Day and Evacuation Day, which commemorates the day in 1776 when British troops left Boston after a protracted siege during the Revolutionary War.

The 3.5-mile (5.6-kilometer) parade rolls through the neighbourhood South Boston, a centre of Irish-American heritage in a city where more than 1 in every 5 people are of Irish descent. The South Boston Allied War Veterans Council organises the parade and this year's chief marshal is retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Alanna Devlin Ball, who grew up in the neighborhood and represented the US at the 2023 Invictus Games in Germany where she took home gold in powerlifting. St Patrick’s Day 2025 Traditional Recipes: From Corned Beef and Cabbage to Guinness Stew, 5 Delicious Food Ideas To Celebrate and Honour the Irish Culture (Watch Videos).

“Lt. Cdr. Devlin Ball's 12 years career in the Navy serves as an inspiration to young women who seek to serve in today's military. We are grateful for her service, sacrifice and power of example,” said US Rep. Stephen Lynch, a South Boston native. The parade is scheduled to kick off slightly earlier in the morning than normal. Last year's events were marred by violence and public intoxication that officials say they hope to curb on Sunday.

The goal of the parade is “keeping alive the tradition of honouring heritage and service”, the war veterans council said in a statement. The parade also has been a source of political controversy in years past. The South Boston Allied War Veterans Council banned gay rights groups from marching in the parade up until a decade ago and a US Supreme Court ruling upheld that right in the 1990s. St Patrick’s Day 2025: How To Observe the Feast of Saint Patrick? 5 Things You Must Do To Honour the Religious and Cultural Holiday.

Two gay and lesbian groups joined the parade in 2015. Organisers for one of the groups, Boston Pride, heralded the move as a point of progress at the time. Chicago held its St. Patrick's Day parade on Saturday. Philadelphia also celebrates on Sunday and New York City holds its parade Monday.

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