Most Americans love a celebration, and St. Patrick’s Day is no exception. The promise of green beer seems to bring out the Irish in everyone, not just the 34 million people of Irish descent living in America.

So if you can’t get all the way over to the Emerald Isle to celebrate, there will be plenty of places to celebrate around the good ol’ U.S.A.

Here are just a few of the best cities in which to watch a parade, hear Irish music, and of course, drink a pint (or two) of Guinness.

Remember, this year the Roman Catholic feast day which honors Ireland’s patron saint falls on a Tuesday, so revelers who have to be back to work on Wednesday would be wise temper their enthusiasm with a little common sense.

BOSTON

You can count on Boston to have numerous St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, considering that many feel that Beantown is the Irish capital of the United States. From sampling an authentic Irish corned-beef meal to taking in the sounds of Irish bagpipes, Boston has St. Patrick’s Day celebrations to suit everyone.

For a classic Irish corned beef dinner, make your reservations for Boston’s second annual Gaelic Gourmet Gala, which takes place on Friday, March 14, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Seaport Hotel on March 14. Enjoy all of this to the sounds of Celtic Thunder, a quintet of singers from Ireland seen frequently on PBS. Tickets are $125 per person. 617-385-5662, Boston Irish Tourism Association

Boston’s 107th St. Patrick’s Day Parade begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 15. Join an estimated 600,000 people to watch the three-hour parade featuring marching bands, floats, and bagpipers. The parade commences at the Broadway “T” station in South Boston and ends at Andrew Square. The best spot from which to view the parade is pretty much anywhere along Broadway; just make sure to get there early. 617-268-7955, www.SaintPatricksDayParade.com/boston

Also on March 17, you can enjoy the sound of Irish bagpipe music all day at Doyle’s Café, located at 3484 Washington Street in Jamaica Plain. In the evening the café will feature the Boston Police Gaelic Column of Pipes and Drums. 617-524-2345, www.doyles-cafe.com

Every year the Boston Irish Tourism’s Association hosts a week-long Irish Food and Culture Celebration, which brings master chefs from Ireland to Boston, where they join with local chefs for a week of culinary events in hotels and restaurants. 617-696-9880, www.IrishMassachusetts.com

And Celtic punk rock lovers will not want to miss the Dropkick Murphys, who always return home to Massachusetts to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. This year they are performing for four nights (March 14-17) at the House of Blues on Lansdowne Street. 888-693-BLUE, www.ticketmaster.com

Can’t make it this weekend? John F. Kennedy Library and Museum has a year-round exhibit which explores the 35th President’s ties to his Irish ancestry, as well as his famous trip to Ireland in June of 1963. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 617-514-1600, www.jfklibrary.org

For more, don’t miss our Off the Brochure Travel Guide: Boston, Mass.

NEW YORK

New York rivals Boston as the city with the largest population of Irish-Americans in the United States, so it should come as no surprise that there are many festivities to choose from.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City is one of the oldest and most popular in the world, dating back to 1762. It will start at 11 am on March 17 at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 44th Street. What makes this parade unique is that no floats or other exhibits are allowed—only marchers. www.saintpatricksdayparade.com/

If parades aren’t your thing, consider taking the Lower East Side Irish Heritage Walking Tour. You’ll walk through former Irish neighborhoods in this area of lower Manhattan that has been home to many groups of immigrant over the years. The tour passes the founding site of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the former Five Points, and sites associated with Tammany Hall and Thomas Addis Emmet, among others. This tour must be scheduled in advance by calling 212-979-2388. For more information on prices and times visit NYCWalk.com.

More NYC travel info: Off the Brochure Travel Guide: New York City.

CHICAGO

Chicago boasts one of the longest-running St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, but the city really proves its devotion to all things Irish by dyeing its river green!

The 2009 Chicago Saint Patrick’s Day Parade takes place this year on Saturday, March 14. It begins at Balbo and Columbus, with the viewing located in front of Buckingham Fountain. More than 30 bands, 50 floats, and countless leprechauns will be among those participating. The organizers suggest that you get to the parade route by public transportation to avoid high parking fees. www.ChicagoStPatsParade.com.

The Dyeing of the Chicago River also takes place on Saturday at 10:45 a.m. This spectacle has taken place every year for more than 40 years. The event is best viewed from the east side of the bridge at Columbus Drive or upper and lower Wacker Drive between Columbus and Lake Shore Drive.

The Irish had much to do with the early development of California, and parades in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco this year will pay homage to their contributions.

Headed to Chicago? Don’t miss Off the Brochure Travel Guide: Chicago.

LOS ANGELES

The Los Angeles St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place on March 17 at 11:30 a.m. It begins at Main Street and Arcadia (downtown near Olvera Street), and ends near Pershing Square. After the parade the Young Dubliners will perform in the square from 12:30 to 1:30 pm, and a variety of vendors will also be offering Irish-themed food and family-friendly activities. www.lacity.org/lafd/stpats.htm.

The South Bay St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival in Hermosa Beach will start on Saturday, March 14, at 11 a.m. at Pier Avenue and Valley Drive. The parade will feature Irish music and floats with the festival following until 5 p.m.

For more, visit our Off the Brochure Travel Guide: Los Angeles, CA.

SAN FRANCISCO

The 157th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in San Francisco is the largest parade of its kind on the West coast. More than a million people of Irish descent from the Bay Area and beyond will attend the event, which begins March 14, at 11:30 a.m. at 2nd and Market and proceeds down Market to the Civic Center. There is also a festival which goes on before, during and after the parade at San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza and on Grove Street from Polk to Larkin. The festival features dancers, musicians, and bands. www.saintpatricksdayparade.com or call 415-456-6455.

SAN DIEGO

In San Diego, check out the 29th Annual San Diego St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival on Saturday, March 14, at 11 a.m. in Balboa Park. San Diego will be celebrating the history of Irish culinary arts. Some of the events at the festival include Beer Gardens, and entertainment will include the San Diego Firefighters Emerald Society Pipes and Drums and the U.S. Air Force Academy Quintet. A tram service will run from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. www.stpatsparade.org/parade.html

SAN ANTONIO

When you think of all the places in the United States where you can partake in a bona fide St. Patrick’s Day celebration, Texas might not be high on that list. Surprisingly, though, Texas has some rather large festivities, devoting the entire month of March to St. Patty. Well, they do say that everything is bigger in Texas …

A three-day Saint Patrick’s Day weekend celebration will take place in San Antonio. Head to the San Antonio river on March 13 at 4 p.m. to see the Guinness Dyeing O’ the River Green. The 2.5-mile river becomes green with the help of environmentally-friendly dye. You’ll be joining 15,000 others along the River Walk as the San Antonio River becomes temporarily named “the River Shannon.”

Directly after the Dyeing of the River, head to Howl at the Moon at 111 Crockett Street to begin the annual Pub Crawl. This takes place on March 13 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The next day head back to the River Walk at 1 p.m., on Sunday, March 15, for the St. Patrick’s Day River Parade. The river will be re-dyed and more homage will be paid to old St. Pat.

For more information on the Dyeing of the River Green, the Pub Crawl, or the St. Patrick’s Day River Parade, call 210-227-4262 x104.

For more travel ideas, visit the Ask the Locals Travel Guide: San Antonio, TX.

DALLAS

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with 1,500 others on Saturday, March 14, at the 30th Annual Greenville Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade’s festivities are eccentric, to say the least, featuring a mock awards ceremony and celebrity judges, in addition to cars and floats. The parade begins at 11 a.m. on Greenville Avenue between Mockingbird Lane and Ross Avenue, and ends on Yale Boulevard. The parade is free and parking will be available all along Greenville Ave.

After the parade is done, you can continue your celebrations at a number of different places. The Dallas Observer has a St. Patrick’s Day Party off of Yale Blvd., or try the Greenville Ave. block party south of Mockingbird.

You can also visit some of Dallas’s local Irish pubs to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a cozy way, such as Trinity Hall on 5321 East Mockingbird Lane, the only full-service Irish pub in Dallas. From the food to the music, to the interior furnishings, most everything comes direct from Ireland. Weekends feature live Irish music in addition to an assortment of Irish whisky and beer.

By Sharon Brooke Uy and Karen Elowitt for PeterGreenberg.com.

Ireland fan? Don’t miss our Off the Brochure Travel Guide to Dublin, Ireland.

For more on the above cities, visit:

• Off the Brochure Travel Guide: Boston, Massachusetts
• Off the Brochure Travel Guide: New York City
• Off the Brochure Travel Guide: Los Angeles, California
• Suzy Gershman’s Postcard to Peter: San Antonio, Texas
• Off the Brochure Travel Guide: Chicago, Illinois
• Off the Brochure Travel Guide: San Francisco, California
• Off the Brochure Travel Guide: San Diego, California