Irish or not, chances are you’ve been to a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Each year, millions across the globe celebrate the holiday.

Friends celebrating in Savannah

Today, St. Patrick’s Day is known for awesome parades, lots of beer and dancing, and green rivers. However, the holiday is originally about recognizing St. Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland. The holiday was brought to America by Irish immigrants and has evolved into a festival celebrating Irish culture.

This year, I traveled to Savannah, Ga. for their famous St. Patrick’s Day festival. The Savannah St. Patrick’s Day parade is one of the oldest in the nation, dating back to 1824. TripAdvisor even calls it “the most defining day on the calendar in Savannah.”

The city was filled with locals and tourists decked out in green. Live music rocked River Street and City Market, and festival-goers enjoyed food and refreshments from bars and street vendors.

Although the city was crowded, it was not unmanageable. As a New York native, I expect a lot of pushing and shoving at large events (or even just walking down a crowded sidewalk). However, it was fairly easy to walk in the crowds and everyone was friendly—southern hospitality is no myth.

We ate at some great restaurants and had a fabulous time. Checkout the slideshow below for some of my favorite parts of the trip:

SavannahSt. Patrick's DayTrips