St. Patrick's Day in Mystic
"St. Patrick's Day is a day to celebrate our green heritage. The ancestry of Ireland. It is a day to celebrate what it means to be Irish and of Irish descent." -Anthony T. Hicks
The knotty shamrock made by Mystic Knotwork.
Mystic, Connecticut has the region’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parade every year on the Sunday after St. Patrick’s Day. This year’s parade is taking place on Sunday March 19, 2023 at 1 PM. The parade route starts at the south parking lot of the Mystic Seaport and running through Broadway to Main St (Downtown Mystic). The end of the parade is at Mystic Art Museum, which is close to Sift Bake Shop. The Mystic Irish Parade Foundation (MIPF) always does an EXCELLENT job of organizing the parade every year to celebrate the Irish heritage for everyone! Can you believe that MIPF is completely volunteer driven and a nonprofit organization?!
Mystic Fire Department in St. Patrick’s Day parade 2019.
The parade itself is very impressive with over 2,000 participants and drawing 30,000 speculators every year. The usual participants are the fire departments (love how Mystic firefighters always sports the green gloves!), local organizations, antique cars, Mystic Aquarium, St. Patrick’s Church, the bagpipes bands, marching bands and the Guinness truck. It was a memorable year in 2018 when the Budweiser Clydesdales marched in the parade. I was especially excited as a (crazy) Dalmatian mom to see Barley the Budweiser Dalmatian!
Budweiser Clydesdales marched in the parade in 2018.
It can get crazy packed in the downtown area. I suggest you to get parking at least couple hours before the parade starts. The town police will close off routes across the town. If you want to be in downtown, there is parking at the Mystic Art Museum. If you want to be on the other side near Mystic Seaport Museum, there will be parking at Olde Mistick Village but it’s a trek! Most probably you will have to hunt for a spot on one of the many side streets along the parade route.
Mystic Highland Pipe Band in the parade.
Downtown Mystic gets VERY festive for St. Patrick’s Day with storefront decorations, Irish themed food/drinks, shamrocks everywhere and the tricolor Ireland flags waving throughout the town. I may live in the area, but I definitely think it is worth the drive to come here for the Irish weekend! The best part is there’s plenty to make a weekend out of it. If you are in town on Friday night, the B.F. Hoxie Engine Co. (near the Mystic train station) hosts their annual fish ‘n’ chips dinner from 5-8 PM. They have one of the most delicious fish fry in the region! On Saturday March 18th, Mystic Irish 5K will be happening at 10AM. On parade day, the Mystic Hook and Ladder Fire Company hosts their annual breakfast. They will be serving an all you can eat with eggs, home fries, corned beef hash, sausage, bacon, pancakes, and toast. Coffee and orange juice will be available. Suggested donation is $10 per adult, $5 for kids. Be sure to stop at 52 New London Ave, Mystic for the hearty firehouse grub! If you want something fancier like a three course Irish brunch, book a table at The Shipwright’s Daughter for $65/person. You’ll be able to watch the parade from the dining room!
The local businesses in downtown Mystic also gets into the celebrations! The Black Dog always have St. Patrick’s Day themed clothing and hats. This year they have the most adorable leprechaun themed shirts for the whole family! Sift Bake Shop rolls out their green croissants filled with Bailey Irish Cream! Mystic Knotwork made a green shamrock out of rope which is visible on the Mystic Drawbridge as well as their retail shops. Known for their handcrafted recycled sails tote bags, Sea Bags has shamrock themed bags! Looking for some Irish whiskey or Irish cream? Spencer & Lynn has all of the necessaries!
Young buns doughnuts (same owner as Sift Bake Shop) also roll out fun St. Patrick’s Day themed donuts!
Those who follows me on Instagram might’ve seen a few posts from Harp and Hound Pub - an Irish pub in Mystic. I can’t write this post without mentioning them. It’s a necessity to stop in for a pint when you’re in Mystic. It is one of the most authentic Irish pubs I’ve been in. The owner is from Limerick, Ireland. The pub is filled with dark wood decor and roadway signs from Ireland as well patches from first responders. They also serve sandwiches and traditional Irish entrees for lunch and dinner. Every time I’m missing Ireland, I just drive the short 10 minutes to the pub and reminiscence the memories! While you’re there during the Irish weekend, don’t forget to enter in the raffle drawing.
Westerly FD in the parade.
Wait, what? Yes! Mystic Irish Parade Foundation does a raffle drawing every year with 3 prizes. The 3rd prize is a $200 gift card to Taber Inn in Mystic. The 2nd prize is an iPad Air. The grand prize is a trip for two to IRELAND! It includes 7 days/6 nights accommodations, round trip airfare, and car rental. You can purchase the raffle tickets which are $5 at Harp & Hound Pub. You do not need to be present to win. It’s an annual tradition to enter myself in the raffle drawing hoping for the grand prize! Who wouldn’t want a free trip to the beautiful Emerald Isle?!
Yantic Fire Truck in the parade.
Lastly, don’t forget to visit Irish Eyes at Olde Mistick Village. I’ve previously mentioned the shop a couple times. They have everything you would need - a shirt? They got it! A hat? They got it! Irish sweaters? They got it! I love the Irish jewelry selection - make it a memorable trip and get yourself a claddagh ring to remember the fun Irish weekend in Mystic!