We took 3 buses (!) and a helpful bus driver directed us to Western and Longwood. We walked up the LONG hill and found a spot in the sun. It was populated but not super crowded. We wanted to find a spot near a bar. (thankfully the Nationalist posters were either gone or yet to appear). The neighborhood is a good mix of businesses and residences, and some smart cookies brought lawn chairs. Except for one drunk guy hanging out the window yelling (silly stuff) everyone was festive, patient, and the kids got candy. The devotion to schools, unions and veterans was touching, so that when the occasional political figure emerged (Hi Lori!) or a corporation made a float, we didn't mind too much. I will post pictures later. read more

I experienced my first (still debating if its going to be my only) south side irish parade two years ago. The only thing I really remembered about the parade itself was the little men wearing the little hats driving the little carpet cars. Bizarre, but memorable none the less! As for the rest of the "party" it was craziness. First there was taking the METRA down to the south side. Everyone on the train was drunk. There was no organization. I had no idea how to get a ticket or if I even needed one. Turns out I didnt need one, everyone rode free that day. At the train stop, I had a bit of ways to walk to get to the parade route. While watching the parade, everyone around me was having a good time. Then again they were all drunk. And they were smoking. Did I happen to mention I cant drink and hate smokers? Yah......totally not my scene but I wanted to check out what all the hype was about. I did have a good time with the company I was with. Everyone was nice and my bf had the hook up with a family friend who owns a shop on the route, so we had access to a bathroom and didnt have to resort to pissing in alleyways. THANK GOD. I heard last year CPD didnt allow drinking on the streets. Maybe that helps in taming the chaos? read more

Evidently, I'm not the only one still in mourning over the untimely death of the SSIP. Oh sweet, sweet SSIP. As the wife of a 100% Irish firefighter, it will probably come as no surprise that we are highly disappointed that our children won't grow up experiencing the chaotic insanity of this (belated) long-standing tradition. In my younger, more intoxicated years, I was, in fact, one of the many drunken people lining the streets, cheering on the floats, full of joy and unabashed merriment. Once our son came along, we bundled him up accordingly, strapped him into the baby carrier secure against my body, passed on the alcohol entirely, and snagged our place in line as we had done every year prior. Naturally, he adored the parade. (What can I say? He is very much like his daddy!) It saddens me that he won't have any memories of this momentous Chicago event. Ditto for his little sisters. Oh, sure...I've probably saved myself about a zillion "now, don't do anything stupid at the parade..." lectures, but this iconic south side classic deserves a resurrection nonetheless, of course. I'm still holding out hope. :) read more

I never thought I would say this, but the parade this year wasn't so horrible. Meaning, I did not have to watch drunk 13 year old girls drop trou and relieve themselves on my crocuses. After being on forced hiatus for three years, the parade committe made a lot of promises to keep the mayhem under control, and were granted a "one last chance" extension. Some friends and I walked over on parade day, and AMAZINGLY we experienced the parade the way it was 15 years ago. It was, honestly, a family event. Positives: *As mentioned above, no public urination or vomiting. In fact, one of the most disgusting aspects of parade day were the banks of porta-potties which, by noon, were afloat in pools of beer/bodily fluids, strewn with paper products, all of them with long lines of full-bladdered inebriates waiting for their turn. No wonder kids preferred public urination. Euch. But THIS year, the porta-potties were in pristine condition, right off the factory floor, and their were no lines. *Bars did not open until after the parade. Trains to the area were checking and confiscating alcohol. Private security was out busting people with open liquor. Buses that brought a lot of outsiders to the neighborhood were routed to inconvenient locations. All of this added up to a parade for residents and their friends, not people from far away who wanted to get wasted, trash the neighborhood, and then go home. *The parade route was shorter, which meant the parade was shorter, which meant the neighbrhood was not closed for most of the day and into the evening. Negatives: *Yes, it was closed for LESS time, but the neighborhood was still inaccessible for the better part of the day. I don't know how this is even legal. If you live in an area, and pay taxes, you should have the right to come and go--unless the National Guard is handling a terrorist attack or something. Some people do have to work on Sunday, or they may want to just leave the area for whatever reason, and they can't. It seems punitive. Can't residents be issued placards for their cars that let them in and out? *Drinking was cut way down but not eliminated--there were lots of people carrying coffee travel mugs that smelled a lot like Guinness, and babies in strollers perched on cases of beer. Everyone was pretty well-behaved, and a little pushing at boundaries is okay....but the security measures put in place for this "trial year" will always have to be there. * How can a city that's always in the red and in a panic about debt, taxes, etc., afford the $3 million on this parade, when they're already financing the Downtown parade for St. Pat? *High school marching bands and bagpipe bands are always fun (it would be nice if the pipers learned to play something besides "Gary Owen," though), but politicians are boring. And sadly, the Budweiser Clydesdales were not at this parade. Bummer. Maybe this year is really a template for future parades, and I'll bite the bullet once a year if this is how the parade turns out. I don't think anyone who really loves the parade was shortchanged, and there were still plenty of family parties going on. I hope the parade organizers are committed to repeating this experience. read more

I've been to many a parade in my time, and this is one you can miss. I went to the Southside Chicago St. Patty's parade this afternoon for the first time. On the walk over there was one rather big fight/scuffle between several of the dumbass twenty-somethings who were so liquored up by 11 am they could not stand, but we had expected some of that kind of BS. We arrived at 111th and Western and it was packed three deep on both sides. Walked up to 110th, then crossed and walked down the west side of Western to find a) a good spot to watch and b) an open bar. Did not see ONE bar between 111th and 115th. Did find a good spot between 11th and 114th on the east side, and waited for the parade. Dull. Boring. Groups of people waving and walking; one band; big gaps between groups. We thought we might be too far down, so we walked back towards 111th. Nope! Boring, quiet, hardly any bands ... I don't get it. Perhaps if you live in that area and your pals are in the parade it's cool, but this was an utter waste of time. We left by 2 pm. Save your time and money, go to the Northside parade and hit the bars in the Loop/South Loop afterwards! read more

If whats-her-face didn't live in Evergreen Park (walking distance of the parade) I'm not sure I'd come from out of my way to attend this parade. Well not every year anyway. This is only my second SSIP experience. Last year, we seemed to miss the whole parade. I'm not sure if they started it earlier, we were too late, or they cut it short because of crappy weather. But we walked around with my back pack full of beer, & enjoyed the dirty drunken experience. This year, with better weather, I was sure to have more fun. But I honestly can't say I did. I'm not sure why. Maybe because I drank myself silly on Friday & Saturday night & my body couldn't handle much more. Maybe I've gotten too used to my rule of not partying on Sunday. Or maybe there was seemingly more people this year & my claustrophobic side, that I didn't know existed, was kicking in. Maybe I witnessed too many drunk girls puking on the side of the road, & maybe the concrete was too sticky from all the spilled beer...and drunk girls puking on the side of the road. Maybe it felt too much like a college party on steroids. Wait...I'm complaining about these things? Whats happening to me? Am I getting too old for this stuff?? NOOO! read more

Yes, the SSIP is fun but you need to tackle this journey the correct way as I've done it correct once, and another time - not so much. Assumption: You're a north-sider, heading south. My advice: Go in on a bus package with one of the bars. Make sure they drop you off at the southern tip of the parade so you can get in the bars there first. Otherwise you are stuck heading North-to-South trying to get through crowds of drunken people. No doubt, this is FUN but I can't do it every year... The line-ups for the portopotty's are horrendous. Expect permanent damage to your bladder. DO NOT TRY TO TAKE A LEAK ANYWHERE BUT A BATHROOM. CAPS are out ticketing people for "indecent exposure" if you get caught. That kind of record doesn't look good!!! Also, even though it appears that everyone is drinking on the street, CAPS will confiscate your alcohol or make you dump your drink if they see you. (this didn't happen in 2006, but it happened in 2008) read more

Skip the old reviews , they're no longer relevant. For parking, I parked at CVS and walked over to Western . Parking is very limited, and this put us close with minimal distance to walk. The SS Parade is now very family friendly, and for those seeking to share their Irish Heritage and traditions with their children, this is now a must! Remember, this is where Chicagos original St Patricks Day a Parade started. There is no alcohol allowed , there were no fights, and everyone was dressed in green and cheering. I brought my 6yo and a 13yo with me, we had no problems and really enjoyed ourselves . The kids came home with tons of beads and candy, and more memories than they can begin to speak on. The adults were great about allowing the smaller children to walk up to the gate to see the parade, parade marshals were everywhere ensuring no one was drinking and the fun was good and clean. We will be back next year! read more

'Tis the time of year that I be feelin' the Irish roots compelling me to don the green and raise a pint! This was my first time to the Southside parade. And I was not disappointed. Not too much really. The "rule" says that you can't have open containers of alcohol while watching the parade. However, the surrounding liquor stores and taverns made it helpful by passing out containers that acceptable. My main complaint is that the chamber of commerce along with the city would win big points if they put MORE portable toilets along the parade route. Then people wouldn't have to sneak around and try to find places to "go". My advice for you is to take some friends down on the Rock Island train and dress in layers. You don't know how the day is going to be....it is still Chicago after all. And after the parade, spend the time going to a food establishment and buy more than you are going to eat. People will be bardering their children for a bite of what you have! read more

Last March I attended this parade, which is held the weekend before the actual. This was the 28th anniversary of the parade, which is held on Western Avenue around 111th Street in the Irish neighborhood of Beverly. We boarded the southbound Western bus from Armitage, passing around a mimosa. We rode the million blocks to 79th Street and transferred to a Pace bus to travel the rest of the way. The bus was full of revelers. We got there and started walking. Everyone had green on and lots of people were selling shamrock jewelry. We stopped at a liquor store to get some alcohol and met the Guinness brewmaster from Ireland! We watched the parade from a friend's balcony overlooking Western (sweet to have a house to warm up in and a fridge to store beer!). Walking around the hood after the parade was fun, too! We got to meet some friends' families that mercifully provided us with corned beef, cabbage, beer, and other Irish delicacies. I think I was drunk three times that day! So fun, I can't wait to go back "down dere"! read more

The parade is scheduled for March 26, 2014. New this year is a fun run, which starts at 11:00, followed by parade kick-off at noon. If you need a break, stop by Beverly Covenant Church (10545 S. Claremont, 1 block east of Western at 106th Street). As in previous years, the church will be open during the parade for clean washrooms, drinks, and snacks. No charge, but donations always welcome, of course. read more

There are rules about the South Side Parade. First, keep your beer in a cup. This is just how it goes. Second, don't act like a jerk. Third, don't mess with the police down there. Think about it; if you were them, would you have any patience for a bunch of drunk kinds who flood down from the north side to make a mess of their neighborhood? If you obey the rules, you'll have fun. My boy lives for St. Pats so I expect to be back every year! read more

I am treading into risky territory with this review. You see I am a distinctly non Southsider married to a very public Southsider. My disparaging comments may come back to haunt me. Some ex girlfriend of my very public husband may someday accost me at a wedding of some couple that I never met that I am required to attend and say " who do you think you are? Criticizing our traditions, and how the f**k did you ever marry Brian anyway?". Not that this a direct quote of a previous experience but it might be.....I digress. Oh, the golden age of the drunken debauchery is over. The days of unprecedented drunken stupidity in the name of Ireland's patron saint ending in various displays of the best violence that the Southside Irish could present. Within 20 minutes I saw no less than 3 mob brawls at the end of the parade in 2007. No wonder there was a plea from the residents for change. The recent incarnation of the parade is a tamer more typical family friendly environment. Perfect timing for my young family. Drunken foolishness for my 20's and family friendly fun for my 30's. I guess that I was in the right place at the right time. Is it worth checking out? Yes. Can you still have fun? Yes. I can see why it is beloved by the Southsiders when you compare it to the hyper organized and patrolled downtown parade, this has a distinctly neighborhood feel. That being said, I think that I can find the same level of revelry closer to home now; say Elmhurst. read more

The SSIP was the one glimmer of hope that kept me going until the springtime. I always went to this event...every frickin' year. I knew for one day, I could be completely wasted by 11am and it was acceptable. Those of us South Siders knew this was THE St. Patrick's day parade. Come on, dying the river green is so for the tourists. It was definitely good times. A time to celebrate the neighborhood and all things Irish. Okay maybe not so much since it does solidified the stereotype but still we need a holiday. There was always an unwritten code; children and families on one side of the street, while the drunks hung out on the bar/tavern/pubs' side. It was perfect harmony and while there were incidents of hooligans, for the most part, everyone acted like little Fonzies...cool. You could go, hang out at some guy's garage, drink beer and it didn't matter if you knew him or not...we all were Irish and neighbors this day. Then the amateurs came into Beverly. I would like to personally thank all those amateur assholes (i e. high school kids who behaved like chihuahuas on crack) that ruined the parade last year. It was a perfect day, perfect weather and hell I wasn't even drunk, but rather hungover from the night before. Plus I was taking my friend to his first South Side event. You couldn't ask for anything else; passed out fat guy, a couple's drama in the alley behind Western, a fight in an old garage!!! My friend experience a drunken brawl and took pictures, how could that not be awesome? Then you had people who obviously couldn't handle alcohol. If you can't drink one beer without acting like a douche, stay home. If you get drunk and think it's okay to punch a cop, then stay home and maybe practice on moving up the evolution chart for once. These are the people I blamed for the dissolution of the parade. The people who took OUR event and ruined it. Can you really blame the police or the neighborhood for not wanting the hassle of hosting it? So now it's February and parade time would not be far off. But here I sit, not having any plans because the best damn thing in the world has been destroyed. Thanks a lot! read more

This was my first time going to the South Side Irish parade. The past 2 years we've been going to the downtown irish parade which I find to be good quality fun. I expected for the SSIP to be a bit more rowdy from what I heard but it definitely exceeded those expectations. There was trash everywhere (the city needs to put out more trash receptacles during well populated events). People publicly urinating on the side streets a couple of feet from the port o potties to avoid the long wait. The parade itself is family friendly but the crowds aren't so, especially when all that alcohol is involved. I was standing in line patiently waiting to use a port o potty. I had gotten out of line previously because I thought I could wait. 3 port a potties lined side by side. A line on each side for the 2 ends and alternating in the middle. A woman and with two young daughters probably about 4 or 5 years old proceeds to cut the line of about 10 and asks the girl in front of me if she can go first because her daughter has to use the washroom. Girl in front politely says no and that she has to wait in line like the rest of us. The woman continues to stand her ground determined to cut. Honestly if she just waited one more person I wouldn't have put up much of a fight OR if she just went right into the middle port, no one would have said anything except maybe grumble that she should have waited like everyone else. Person gets out of the stall and the mother shoves the girl in front of me out of the way and hurriedly pushes her kids inside with her. What kind of example is this mom setting for her children. I was appalled at the behavior. The girl and the mom continue to argue, and a girl behind me asks me "Should I throw my beer at her? I'm going to throw my beer at her. Here hold my stuff!" A man also comes from the middle of the line and tries to get the mother out saying that she needs to wait in line like everyone else. She then starts screaming at him and then hitting him. After the 5th hit he hits back with equal force, and thats when I see guys jump in and start hitting him. I felt bad for the guy because he was only standing his ground even though he shouldn't have hit her. The mother then cries victim saying her children had to see this when she was the one that put herself in that position in the first place. Finally the cops came to break it up, don't know if anyone got arrested b/c I wasn't going to stick around. I was 2nd in line and I got out thinking I didn't want to be caught in the middle of a mob fight over a port a potty. Ahh only drunken hostility drives people to fight over public plastic toilets. Other than witnessing that altercation, I had fun. Maybe I would be back again but definitely more prepared with salty snacks. P.S. If you plan on bringing your dog, please reconsider or be prepared. There were one too many dogs that looked tired, thirsty, and stepped on. read more

I went to this parade once and that was enough. The first and only time that I went was back in 2007. Even though it was cool to run into some friends of mine from high school at the parade, there were too many drunk people at this thing. I was almost 19 years old when I went and there were high school kids who were there who were so drunk. The Metra train to and from the parade was ridiculously packed as well. Going to this parade was such a waste of time. I have no desire to go back again even after all these years. read more

I was convinced to go to this parade by a friend of mine. I'm not a fan of crowds and I'm especially not a fan of drunken frat boys. But I went on the assumption that this parade was more family-oriented. I will agree that during the parade it was a family fun event. The procession was filled with firemen, unions, Irish dance school floats, marching bands...it got to be a little too long after a while. How many unions have a float?!?! Seriously. And how many unions are there?!? An added bonus was the lack of...umm...diversity. I was glad to help out. Afterwards, is when the fun started. All the drunken fun began when the families dispersed and the frat boys remained. The cops had a good time and me and my friend walked back to the car to avoid the fray. All told 54 arrests...I've had my fill of Caucasian fun. read more

I adore St. Patrick's Day. I'm German-Irish, meaning I pretty much bleed beer. Any holiday centered around the consumation of it is naturally my singular favorite holiday in the entire calendar year. So of course, I was incredibly stoked for the South Side Irish parade, and prepared with numerous car-bombs and wore tons of green clothing and jewelry. I was ready to party. We were stationed in front of the CVS at 111th and Western and everything seemed like it was going to be awesome; it was such a good party atmosphere. Then.......? It started to suck. My main complaint? THE POLICE! I saw three fistfights and a girl screaming at someone in front of the port-o-johns and the police did nothing about that. And yet, my guy was literally standing there watching the floats and drinking beer from a can (along with hundreds of other people drinking beer from a can) and he was given a drinking ticket immediately. He offered to pour the beer out in front of them, and they said, "Might as well finish it; we'll give you a f*cking ticket anyways." Direct quote. The rudeness didn't stop there, either. They were making fun of the fact that his ID said he was from Schaumburg to his face. I'm sorry...didn't realize people from the Northwest Suburbs weren't welcome on the south side. It was borderline discriminatory. Apparently underage drinking and assault are cool with those cops, but a former Schaumburg resident drinking Coors from a can? BLASPHEMY. Seriously, I apologize to any good south side parade cops, because I'm sure there are plenty of excellent ones. I respect police in general and I definitely understand crowd control in this type of environment, but the treatment those two officers gave my boy was ugly, unneccessary, and unfair. Other complaints were that all the bars along the route were packed and not letting people in after the parade. For someone who was a touch paranoid about public street drinking after the police harrasssment routine I'd witnessed, that really didn't leave me much choice but to stop drinking. Also, this may seem minor, but the pizza was horse manure out that way. Thinking I was, you know, in CHICAGO and couldn't miss by getting pizza, I bought a thin crust pizza at one pizza joint...it really tasted like someone took a cardboard box, spread Ragu on it, covered it with some tasteless cheese, then cut up a pink rubber eraser and sprinkled it across the pizza in place of sausage. I went to a thick crust place on 111th after the parade as well, thinking it might have just been the thin crust, and that was equally nasty as well; the sauce tasted like canned tomato paste without any seasonings. Seriously my drunk arse could have oven baked a Tombstone pizza AND burnt it and still had something better tasting then those. I was pretty disappointed; I heard this parade was one of the best parties around. Hopefully it won't be like this next year. Given the percentage of Irish in my blood and my general affinity towards St. Paddy's Day, I wanted so very badly to like it!!! I would give it another chance, but this year it was a complete letdown. read more

RIP SSI parade. This year was a sad one for me on that fateful Sunday. I didn't get to see one Irish step dancer, hear any bagpipers, or sing the south side irish song en masse. It really is a shame to see something that has become such a big and important family tradition to many (32 years!) be forced to put out it's flame. I have been going this this parade every year which started during the wee old days of still being in a stroller. I remember celebrating fully our great Irish culture with family and friends on the "Dry side" and then slowly making my way across the street over the years to feel the "culture shock" from the many drunken leprauchans wildly screaming off of Joe Bailey's roof (RIP Joe Bailey's). Yes, this day eventually becomes an excuse to just drink yet another day once you reached a certain age, but it's not just any old extra day at a bar. We proudly celebrated being Irish on THAT day while we drank our guiness and green beer. It was our way of doing so all together and accepting everyone for their "Irishness". Now that I am getting older, I am slowly calming down and veering away from the crazy college drunks in the bars. However, it still is unfortunate that I will not be able to continue this tradition with my own kids one day. They too would have celebrated the same way I did starting off on the dry side: by being painted and clothed in green, waving an Irish flag, eating a cornbeef sandwich, and pretending to do an Irish jig. read more

This parade has been going on for decades. I remember going to it when I was a kid. A few years ago it was getting pretty wild with bars from all over the city/suburbs bringing bus loads of people. A couple people got arrested for fighting (and a girl for peeing in the aisle of a Walgreens, rumor has it) and the city said they were done with all the shenanigans so for about two years there was no Southside parade. The parade is back but now the rules are much stricter. No open booze, no buses (from what I've heard but I can't confirm this) and no drunks. The past few years I've been there it seemed most people got the message and were behaving. Still a good time but if you're looking to get sloppy expect a ride in the Paddy Wagon. :) read more

It's Baaaaack!! Get ready for the best party on the south side! And then come on out to party with BLACK 47 and Red Rebel County (a south side institution rocking all your favorite Flogging Molly/Dropkick Murphys party music!) Check out the after party event here: http://www.yelp.com/events/palos-park-celebrate-saint-patricks-day-with-live-irish-music-on-the-south-side-parade-day read more

highly recommended if you stay away from the bars. yes, i said stay away from the bars. you pay a $10 cover or more just to wait in line to pee and drink when most people are whizzing in the alleys anyway. this is good for party animals and families alike. farther south (like 111th and more) is more family-friendly but it's still a good time. you'd be surprised how welcome party crashers are (if they aren't drunken buttholes). i recommend getting there VERY early since the streets close at like 9 am or something. public transportation is your friend. the rock island metra stop is pretty close to western at the 111th stop. you can catch it near lasalle and van buren (they don't technically intersect but that's where it's at). but watch bringing consumables on the train. normally metra lets you drink on trains but i think they make an exception for the parade. : ( read more

Terrible. 10 minutes btw floats. Low energy. All 4 kids we brought were very disappointed.

I for one can tell you the parade is nowhere near as rowdy as it used to be. I bartended and lived in the route of the parade. Where it has been years since it has drastically changed. The first few years of working the parade all you saw were drunks and of all ages. They would use your bushes for their private potty and sex romps. If you car was parked anywhere near the route chances are it was damaged. No-one carded or stopped underage drinking and the kids knew it. The bars get so packed it is impossible for them to make sure everyone in there is of age unless you card at the door. The trains were packed with northsiders coming for the day simply to get plowed and more then likely did. The whole reason for the day was not to celebrate St.Patrick per say but to get absolutely hammered no matter what it took. read more

Being new to Chicago, I checked this parade out yesterday for the first time. I think the major disclaimer should be that you will not have fun if you are not either drinking or already drunk. These people mean serious business! Most people were drunk WAY before noon. I'm not used to having beer at 8:30am but I guess . . . "when in Rome. . ." It was definitely a sight to see, to see so many people decked out in their St. Paddy's day garb. People went all out, from dyeing their beards green to dressing up as full on leprechauns. It was very entertaining. As far as the actual parade, I'm not going to lie, it was very random and borderline crappy. It was simply a bunch of random groups, mostly Catholic parishes, walking down the street, waving, and sometimes chucking out candies to the crowds. But I think the fun of it all is just to see the drunken crowds gathered in this cozy Irish community. Most of the drunk people were friendly and just plain happy. During the 6-7 hours that I was there, I didn't see any fights so maybe I was just on the friendly drunks side. I had a pretty fun time and I think I'll probably check it out again next year. read more

I can tell you now, The alternative fest will probably go down in history as a colossal flop. LEST WE FORGET, The growing alternative some 5 or so miles south, Take THAT cowards. Thanks to the inane crowd control, The parade ended, Probably about as professional as a 1979 Who concert in Cincinnati. Well when you have a Dennis Kucinich clone in charge, That's what happened to the parade. It was good in many aspects. However, If it wasn't for that stooge Ginger, The restroom facilities at Kennedy Park would STILL be open on that day. Hopefully the lousy $10 fest will collapse.or implode read more

Parade is a good time, but a bit crazy. Here's a tip: Beverly Covenant Church (1 block East of the parade route at 106th St) will be open starting at 11:30 with clean, free bathrooms. Also it's a place to escape from the craziness for a while and get warm. Food will be available (probably coffee, hot chocolate, popcorn, and maybe chili?). It's all free, although donations are welcome and will be given to the local food pantry this year. Oh, and if you have kids, stay on the East side of Western Ave - West is for the heavy-duty partiers. read more