Boston promised a family-friendly St. Patrick’s Day. Did it deliver?

Francesca Siciliano, news correspondent

April 17, 2026

Multiple BORGs and alcoholic beverages sit against the Downtown Crossing Red Line station walls March 15. This year, law enforcement increased crowd control efforts to reduce alcohol-related accidents and disorderly conduct.

At last year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a sacred Boston tradition, many attendees notably descended into a drunken mayhem. This year, the city’s leaders and law enforcement attempted to crack down on unruly behavior.

Last year, the Boston Police Department, or BPD, brought charges against 13 people for incidents including disorderly conduct, public fighting and assault and battery on a police officer. This year, Boston police increased crowd control efforts, determined to rein in the celebration.

BPD officers in neon yellow jackets lined the 3.5-mile route. In addition to law enforcement confiscating alcohol, there were 17 arrested.

Anticipating crowds of up to 1 million people, Boston’s city and state leaders implemented a series of restrictions to reduce disorderly conduct and alcohol-related incidents. Additionally, a new family-friendly zone was designated along M Street.

In a letter to the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Director, Mary Bourque, and the Associated Independent Colleges and Universities of Massachusetts President, Rob McCarron, four Massachusetts elected officials stated there would be a zero-tolerance policy for the “out-of-control behavior that the people of South Boston endured last year.”

The warning came in a joint statement from U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn, State Sen. Nick Collins and State Rep. David Biele. The statement also criticized the “unacceptable, anything goes atmosphere” of Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in recent years and stated that a task force of city and state agencies has convened monthly in preparation.

“I’m definitely more of a fan of it being family-friendly. You see kids everywhere … It’s a celebration of Boston, it’s not a celebration of drinking,” said Sabrina Rice, a third-year media and screen studies and business administration double major at Northeastern.

This year, BPD focused on alcohol, specifically the “blackout rage gallons,” better known as “BORGs.” Parade-goers had their BORGs confiscated by city law enforcement before ever having the chance to step outside.

Task force personnel, including the Boston Fire Department and Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority Police, along with other law enforcement, were stationed at locations that had experienced serious incidents in past years, such as roof decks, Medal of Honor Park and the South Boston Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Boston police officers stand in front of the South Boston Neighborhood Station prior to the St. Patrick’s Day parade March 15. The BPD confiscated alcoholic beverages and were stationed at locations that experienced repeated incidents. (Eva c)

Organized by The South Boston Allied War Veterans Council since 1947, the parade continues to honor both St. Patrick’s Day and Evacuation Day, a holiday also observed March 17 to commemorate the evacuation of British forces from Boston during the Revolutionary War. This year marked the 250th anniversary of the British military’s withdrawal from Boston.

While much of the parade reflected a calmer, more orderly environment than in years past, moments of chaos still existed, according to reporting from The Boston Globe. Some parade-goers even cited Boston’s celebration as more chaotic than St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland.

For most, however, this day was about celebrating with their community, honoring the Boston Irish population and having fun.

This sentiment was shared by many longtime parade-goers who view the parade as a chance to be with the community and show pride.

“Just to have fun with everybody, the parade’s always fun,” said Brian Burt, a 60-year-old Arlington, Mass. resident. Burt added that the calmer environment was likely due to the weather, noting that the 70-degree temperatures had drawn especially rowdy crowds last year.

Empty bottles of alcohol lie abandoned on the street March 15. Despite increased enforcement crackdown, the community still unified together to celebrate and show Irish pride. (Eva CiolekPasseri)

“We’re half Irish, everyone’s Irish today though,” Burt said.

For many, the parade offered a chance to display Irish pride. Boston has long been home to a large Irish population, with 19.8% of Massachusetts residents claiming Irish ancestry as of 2022

For first-time parade-goer and Ireland-born Sarah Ridge, the Boston parade offered a similar experience to St. Patrick’s Day at home. Hailing from Galway, Ireland, Ridge said she found authenticity and community at Boston’s parade. She attended the parade this year with her hometown friends and added that the St. Patrick’s Day Parade was an opportunity for her to show them the Irish pride she found in Boston.

“It’s great, we’re having a good time. [I’m] looking forward to celebrating the Boston-Irish American culture,” Ridge said.