Growing up in the Kitchener-Waterloo region, there was one thing I’ve heard of throughout my college years: Marshall Street. One of the biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations I’ve heard of, yet unfortunately (or fortunately?) have never been to. What is it, though?

The entire street is transformed into a sea of green as people from all over come to celebrate Irish culture and heritage. From the early morning hours until late into the night, Marshall Street is alive with music, dancing, and laughter. You’ll see people decked out in their best green attire, from shamrock hats to leprechaun costumes, all coming together to celebrate this fun and festive holiday.

This is right in the university district, so thousands, and I mean thousands of university students show up to party. Not just from the University of Waterloo or Laurier University, I mean colleges and universities surrounding the region too. If you were a college student looking to drink up and link up, this was the place. It is absolute chaos. Cops get called, fights happen, and the street is effectively blocked off.

I heard all about this huge St. Patrick’s day party when I was in college. Though when I was in school, my mindset was to just graduate and start working, so I didn’t really focus on going to a ton of parties. Part of me feels like I might have missed out on some fun when I was younger, but part of me looks back and doesn’t really care too much about it. And of course as a 27 year old, it just sounds weird going to a giant college-aged street party that’s surrounded by police, angry residents and chaos.

Instead, a local bar or pub with some green beer sounds a lot more appealing to me nowadays. A more chill but entertaining vibe, and it’s nice to support the local bars/restaurants too!