When is St. Patrick's Day 2025? Date, history, plus events in Knoxville
What once was a religious holiday has evolved into an overload of shamrocks, Guinness and green beer. Bar crawls and parades preside every March as countries worldwide embrace the "luck of the Irish."
Knoxville is no exception to the rule. The Scruffy City will celebrate St. Patrick's Day with its annual parade, marathons, and more. Not to mention the various bar crawls that will patronize Knoxville's breweries.
How will you celebrate? Try these Knoxville events.
St. Patrick's Day will be celebrated on Monday, March 17. Because St. Patrick's Day is on a weekday this year, many of its festivals and events will take place the weekend prior.
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, credited with advancing Christianity in the nation. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated annually in honor of the patron's death, which is believed to be March 17, around 460 A.D., Elizabeth Stack, executive director for the Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany, New York, told USA TODAY.
The saint was born in Britain but was brought to Ireland as a slave at 16 years old. He escaped but eventually returned to Ireland as a priest and missionary.
"Patrick became inflamed with the desire to help alleviate the suffering of the Irish people who were burdened under the yoke of slavery, brutal tribal warfare and pagan idolatry. It was in the midst of this vocational experience that he understood his call to become a Catholic priest," Paul Grote, a Catholic priest with the Order of Preachers, said in a statement to USA TODAY.
St. Patrick's life and accomplishments are celebrated each year. However, the holiday has evolved in the United States to celebrate Irish culture.
Unlike other holidays, there's no one right or wrong festive meal you can eat on St. Patrick's Day. But, if you are in the spirit to enjoy some Irish delicacies, you could try making corned beef and cabbage, a lamb pie, soda bread or any other classic dishes.
Knox St. Patrick's Day Parade: March 15, 1 p.m. The parade begins near Hill Avenue on Gay Street and continues north along Gay Street in downtown Knoxville for about one mile. Last year, the Knox St. Patrick's Day parade had 50 parade units and floats with more than 5,000 onlookers. The Grand Marshall will be Vikings safety Harrison Smith. knoxstpatricksparade.com.
Knox Shamrock Fest: March 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., World's Fair Performance Lawn, 720 11th Street, Knoxville. Family-friendly festival offers live Irish music, inflatables, face painting, balloon twisting, Irish dancing, delicious food, Irish whiskey, and more. Supports East Tennessee Kidney Foundation.
Lucky Kidney Run: March 15, 10 a.m., World's Fair Park, 525 Henley Street, Knoxville. Race is part of the Knox Shamrock Fest. Offers competitive 6k run and untimed 1 mile walk. Pricing varies, $43/person for participants 13 years and older. runsignup.com.
St. Patrick's Day Silent Disco: March 14, 7:30-11:30 p.m., Hi-Wire Brewing, 2020 Barber Street, Knoxville. Event for individuals 18 years and older, unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Limited space and headphones are available. Tickets cost $10-15. eventbrite.com.
St. Patrick's Day Race: March 16, 2 p.m., Barely's Taproom, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville. The race includes a half-mile kids' dash and a traditional 5K. Registration costs are $32.80 and $54 respectively. Fee includes a t-shirt, pizza and beers for participants over the age of 21. Proceeds support Emily's Power For A Cure. knoxvillestpatricksday5k.com.
USA Today reporter Maria Jimenez Moya contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: When is St. Patrick's Day 2025? Here's when to celebrate in Knoxville
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