Massachusetts marks March 15 with St. Patrick’s parades in Boston and Worcester, plus Belmont Lunar New Year
Three parades, one Sunday: overlapping traditions across Greater Boston
Sunday, March 15, 2026, brings a packed slate of public events across Massachusetts, as St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Boston and Worcester coincide with a Lunar New Year festival event in Belmont that will include a rolling parade stop.
The timing concentrates large crowds, road closures, and transit demand into a single day, with organizers and public agencies coordinating logistics around routes that pass through dense neighborhoods and major corridors.
Boston: South Boston parade starts at 11:30 a.m. with a reversed route
Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day and Evacuation Day Parade is scheduled to step off at 11:30 a.m. in South Boston. The event is a long-running civic tradition that also recognizes Evacuation Day, commemorating the withdrawal of British troops from Boston in 1776.
For 2026, organizers reversed the traditional route direction. The parade will begin in Andrew Square, proceed through South Boston streets, turn onto West Broadway, and end at A Street. The route change is tied to Evacuation Day history and the lead-up to the nation’s 250th anniversary milestones.
Parade day preparations typically include a heavy public-safety presence and coordinated transportation planning as crowds fill South Boston through midday and into the afternoon.
When: Sunday, March 15, 2026, 11:30 a.m.
Where: South Boston; start at Andrew Square; end at A Street/West Broadway area
Worcester: Park Avenue parade begins at noon and runs about two miles
Worcester’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade is set for Sunday at noon, beginning at Park Avenue and Mill Street. The procession is expected to travel roughly two miles along Park Avenue before ending near Highland Street.
The corridor is one of Worcester’s busiest commercial stretches, and the parade footprint typically affects cross streets and nearby parking availability for much of the day. Spectators generally gather along Park Avenue to watch marching groups and community organizations move through the city’s main parade route.
When: Sunday, March 15, 2026, noon
Where: Worcester; Park Avenue from Mill Street toward Highland Street
Belmont: Lunar New Year festival scheduled for 1:30–3:30 p.m. with rain date
In Belmont Center, a Lunar New Year celebration is scheduled for Sunday afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a rain date of March 22. The event is designed as a multicultural community gathering and will include a rolling Lunar New Year parade stop during the program.
This year’s celebration is framed around the Year of the Snake, with planned activities and performances centered in the Belmont Center area.
When: Sunday, March 15, 2026, 1:30–3:30 p.m. (rain date March 22)
Where: Belmont Center; rolling parade stop expected during the event window
What attendees should anticipate
With major events unfolding in multiple municipalities on the same day, residents should expect localized street closures near parade routes, crowded sidewalks, and higher demand on public transportation and roadways—particularly in South Boston and along Worcester’s Park Avenue. Organizers and public agencies typically advise planning arrival and departure times around route operations and neighborhood access constraints.