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How Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade still marches on 200 years later | The Main

How Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Still Marches on 200 Years Later

A volunteer-run spectacle with crowds numbering at 300,000, a testament to resilience, and a city-wide tradition that refuses to fade.

ByJ.P. Karwacki

March 13, 2025 · 5 min read

How Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade still marches on 200 years later

Photograph: McCord Stewart Museum

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On March 16, 2025, Montreal’s streets will be awash in green for the 200th edition of the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade—an event that, with two centuries under its belt, has outlived empires, revolutions, and pandemics.

Organized by the entirely volunteer-run United Irish Societies of Montreal (UIS), the parade is expected to draw over 300,000 spectators to de Maisonneuve Boulevard, featuring more than 120 groups, 20 floats, and 5,000 participants.

But beyond the spectacle, this year’s parade is a landmark moment—a testament to resilience, cultural endurance, and Montreal’s unique blend of tradition and reinvention.

Mounted policeman and official, St. Patrick's Day Parade, Montreal, QC, about 1930. | Photograph: McCord Stewart Museum

“All the history that I have in my family alone, and the history of the parade, and all the people I’ve met over the years organizing this thing… you feel like you’re being pushed with them. It’s amazing,” says Daniel Doyle Sr., the 2025 Grand Marshal.

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How Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Still Marches on 200 Years Later

A volunteer-run spectacle with crowds numbering at 300,000, a testament to resilience, and a city-wide tradition that refuses to fade.

ByJ.P. Karwacki

March 13, 2025 · 5 min read

How Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade still marches on 200 years later

Photograph: McCord Stewart Museum

The Main is reader-supported. Subscriptions are what keep us independent. Five dollars a month — the restaurants, the guides, the weekly bulletin, and what to do each weekend. Support us today.

On March 16, 2025, Montreal’s streets will be awash in green for the 200th edition of the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade—an event that, with two centuries under its belt, has outlived empires, revolutions, and pandemics.

Organized by the entirely volunteer-run United Irish Societies of Montreal (UIS), the parade is expected to draw over 300,000 spectators to de Maisonneuve Boulevard, featuring more than 120 groups, 20 floats, and 5,000 participants.

But beyond the spectacle, this year’s parade is a landmark moment—a testament to resilience, cultural endurance, and Montreal’s unique blend of tradition and reinvention.

Mounted policeman and official, St. Patrick's Day Parade, Montreal, QC, about 1930. | Photograph: McCord Stewart Museum

“All the history that I have in my family alone, and the history of the parade, and all the people I’ve met over the years organizing this thing… you feel like you’re being pushed with them. It’s amazing,” says Daniel Doyle Sr., the 2025 Grand Marshal.

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For readers who care about Montreal

Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

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Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.

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