St Patrick's Day Parade & Festival

London's Irish community have always celebrated St Patrick's Day in the traditional manner, with church services, music, dancing and plenty of Guinness and whisky. In recent years, the capital has also hosted a major weekend celebration - the UK equivalent of parades in New York and Chicago. London's parade has floats from all 32 Irish counties, with street theatre along the route which starts at Piccadilly (Park Lane side) at 12 noon, goes along Lower Regent Street, Pall Mall East via Trafalgar Square to Whitehall. The main performance stage is in Trafalgar Square with live shows, music and dance, from midday. There's also a Children's Culture Corner with storytelling, shadow animation, dance, musical instruments and poetry, and there'll be the chance to join in with the arms-by-the-sides dancing. Look out for Irish speakers roaming around the square, on hand to teach you a few phrases. Of course, the best places to celebrate are the pubs and Catholic churches throughout London, with their mix of religion, music and good cheer. Keep an eye on where the real London Irish go after the parade and you could be in for a memorable evening.