Spring Travel & Culture Celebrates the Irish in New England and Travel to Ireland

The Boston Irish Tourism Association (BITA) released its Annual Spring Travel & Culture magazine, highlighting New England’s robust St. Patrick’s Day and spring seasons, plus travel ideas for visiting Ireland this year.

The 48-page magazine print edition is available free at visitor centers and cultural venues in greater Boston and New England and is also available online. 

“New England is overdue for some relief after our harsh winter, and St. Patrick’s Day season represents greener days ahead with the coming of spring,” said BITA co-founder Michael Quinlin.  “Our St. Patrick’s Day issue of Travel & Culture celebrates New England’s storied Irish culture and heritage, and also beckons our readers to visit Ireland in 2026.”

Travel & Culture lists more than a dozen St. Patrick’s Day parades stretching from March 7 to April 12, along with top Irish and Celtic touring groups in New England such as Riverdance, Dancing with the Celts, Celtic Woman, The Murphy’s Beds, The High Kings, Runa, Paul Byrom, Sina Theil, Dervish and Teada.  

Popular events on the Irish calendar include the Irish Cultural Centre St. Patrick’s Day Weekend on March 14-15, the Irish Festival at Patriot Place on March 21,  the St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast in South Boston on March 15, plus the Irish American Partnership Breakfast and Charitable Irish Society Gala, both on March 17. The JFK Library in Boston and JFK Museum in Hyannis also have a variety of Irish music, lectures and new exhibits this season. 

This issue features Massachusetts visitor destinations such as Boston and Quincy and tourism regions including Revolutionary Valley and Central Massachusetts, and profiles on veteran tourism leader Wendy Northcross of the John F. Kennedy Museum in Hyannis and cultural leader Russell Gusetti of Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI.  Other stories look at World Cup soccer preparations at Boston’s Logan International Airport, the MBTA and Meet Boston, MBTA’s popular Boston Harbor Ferry service, and upcoming activities at the Mass Convention Center Authority.

The spring issue features a four-page spread on Boston’s Revolutionary Irish Trail, a new initiative that uses public landmarks and institutions to chronicle the role of the Irish and Scots-Irish in the American Revolution, along with a story on Dorchester Heights Monument in South Boston.

The Swan Boats and the Edgar Allan Poe statue – new additions to the Boston Irish Heritage Trail – are featured, along with a map and descriptions of 20 downtown landmarks on the original Irish Heritage Trail.

The Ireland section of Travel & Culture has stories around the theme ‘Ireland Goes Beyond’ and include St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Dublin,  reasons to visit Ireland in springtime and Ireland’s culinary scene, including Michelin-starred restaurants, farmers markets and food and seafood festivals.  Kelturas Vacations and Brack Tours offer innovative group and individual tours to Ireland in 2026.

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About Irish Boston 

The Boston Irish Tourism Association celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025 as a unique cultural tourism organization formed in 2000 to connect Massachusetts’ largest ethnic group with the state’s tourism industry, and to strengthen travel ties with the island of Ireland.  The group publishes three annual issues of Travel & Culture each March, June and November. See Partners page for complete list of its partners. 

For further details on festivals and concerts, as well as year-round Irish and cultural activities, heritage sites, community profiles, gift shops, book reviews and more, visit IrishBoston.org.