Detroit hosts one of the largest St. Patrick's Day parades in the U.S., with over 80,000 people attending each year.

One of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parties in the area, this suburban bash is all day Sunday at the banquet hall and a heated outdoor tent. There’s corned beef, beer and entertainment all day long. 8 a.m.-midnight Sun. No cover until noon and free parking on site. 31816 Utica, Fraser. (586) 415-5678. Vintagebanquetsandcatering.com.

The spread of St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the U.S. was a way for Irish immigrant communities, who in the 19th century faced discrimination and opposition, to stake that ground, he says: “It’s a kind of immigrant Irish way of combating nativist antagonism against them.”