The 2026 South Boston St. Patrick’s Day/Evacuation Day Parade will step off from Andrew Square on Sun., March 15, at 11:30 a.m. This year’s 3.5-mile march will travel on the same route as last year, but in reverse direction, starting from Andrew Square and ending at the MBTA station at Broadway.

Boston City Councillor Ed Flynn explained that the route change by the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, which organizes the parade, is meant as a tribute to the route that Col. Henry Knox took to quietly move cannons and artillery overnight from Roxbury to Dorchester Heights (in present day Southie) in 1776. 

Col. Tim Murphy, a lifelong South Boston resident and senior leader in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, will serve as chief marshal.

The parade, one of the nation’s most prominent St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, traces its roots to 1737, when Boston’s Irish community first gathered to honor Ireland’s patron saint. In 1901, it moved to South Boston, home to Dorchester Heights — the historic site where British troops evacuated Boston on March 17, 1776.

That pivotal moment in the American Revolution followed the daring effort of 25-year-old Col. Knox, who transported 59 cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Dorchester Heights. Positioned overnight, the artillery forced British General William Howe to withdraw his forces, securing a crucial early victory for General George Washington and the Continental Army.

Since 1901, the parade has served as a dual celebration of Irish heritage and Evacuation Day, honoring both the contributions of Irish Americans and the service of the nation’s military. Held annually on the Sunday closest to March 17, the event draws hundreds of thousands of spectators to South Boston.

Murphy, born and raised in South Boston, lives in the neighborhood with his wife, Leah, and their three children — Thomas, 10; Molly, 9; and Maddie, 7. A graduate of Gate of Heaven School and Catholic Memorial High School (Class of 1997), he completed a post-graduate year at Berkshire School before attending the United States Military Academy at West Point.

He served six years on active duty, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, with the 1st Cavalry Division. During that time, he completed two tours in Iraq, totaling 27 months, serving as a rifle platoon leader and battalion battle captain.

Other St. Patrick’s Parades

March 7: Cape Cod, 11 a.m.; Hartford 11 a.m.; Pawtucket, noon; March 14: Newport; March 15: Boston, 11:30 a.m.; Worcester, Portland, and New Haven; March 17: Dublin; March 21: Providence, Methuen; March 22: Holyoke; April 12: Abington, Scituate.