St. Patrick's Day is practically upon us and the Gateway City is gearing up to celebrate its Irish heritage in grand style. In addition to "family ties" with sister cities Donegal and Galway, Ireland, St. Louis has a rich history and strong connection to the Emerald Isle.

St. Louis' annual St. Patrick's Day Parade is considered one of the best in the country. Held each year on the Saturday prior to St. Patrick's Day, March 14, 2009, more than 200,000 spectators "get their green on" in downtown St. Louis and enjoy a parade with more than 120 floats, marching bands, and large inflatable balloons.

Before the parade gets underway, there will be plenty of activity taking place with the annual Michelob ULTRA St. Patrick's Day Parade Run. The race, which starts at 9 a.m., attracts more than 7,000 participants for the five-mile run through the streets of downtown and midtown St. Louis. Before and after the race, a full slate of activities takes place along the route.

At Aloe Plaza, located across the street from historic St. Louis Union Station, it's the "Party at the Start," with official Irish food and fare, and live music by The Kissers until 4 p.m. At the opposite end of the race route, Kiener Plaza will host the Irish Village, an Irish-themed entertainment area filled with food and beverages from St. Louis restaurants, free family activities, and live music by the Ultraviolets.

The village opens at 9 a.m. and continues long after the race and parade have ended.

But wait – there's more. Another longstanding tradition is the Ancient Order of Hibernians' Dogtown St. Patrick's Day Parade. The friendly neighborhood showin' of the green takes place on Tuesday, March 17 as the family-friendly fête winds its way through the narrow streets of the Dogtown neighborhood.

The mile-long parade is the centerpiece of a day-long celebration that starts early and carries on well into the night at the many Irish and Irish-for-the-day eateries and taverns. For information, call 314 645-5809.

Today, Irish lads and lasses – and their "wanna-be" friends – can find a number of Emerald Isle locales in St. Louis, including pubs, taverns and eateries: The Dubliner Irish Pub & Bistro is an authentic European gastropub, serving high quality traditional Irish-inspired food made from authentic Irish ingredients in combination with locally-produced meats, vegetables and fruit.

The downtown pub is a popular spot to enjoy televised rugby and soccer matches, live Irish music, theatrical performances, billiards and darts.

Another downtown watering hole known for its international flair is Tigin Irish Pub located in the Hampton Inn – Gateway Arch. Tigin is a unique gathering place to enjoy humor, hospitality, and some fine Irish food and drink. Also located downtown, McMurphy's Grill serves American fare and more each weekday for lunch. Try the Irish stew, meatloaf and homemade Irish chips, fresh salads, soups, and sandwiches.

Another downtown watering hole, Maggie O'Brien's (2000 Market St., 314 421-1388), attracts friendly folks who gather to watch sports and celebrate Ireland 365 days of the year.

In Soulard, McGurks Irish Pub & Restaurant is a longstanding favorite for those in search of authentic Irish music, food and hospitality. The popular neighborhood pub has been around since 1978 and features live Irish music nightly and authentic Irish stew and pub grub.

In nearby Clayton, the Seven Gables Inn's Molly Darcys restaurant serves up traditional pub grub and a host of Irish favorites, including Guinness Stew, bangers and mash, corned beef, and traditional sausage rolls.

A St. Louis attraction based on the life and times of a transplanted Irishman is the Campbell House Museum. Millionaire fur trader and entrepreneur Robert Campbell was born in 1804 at Aghalane, his family home in Plumbridge, County Tyrone in present day Northern Ireland. After moving to St. Louis in 1824, Campbell became one of the city's most prominent residents during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The house, built in 1851, served as the family's home from 1854 to 1938, and has been painstakingly restored to reflect the high-Victorian opulence of the 1880s. The museum features hundreds of original Campbell family possessions including furniture, paintings, clothing, letters, carriages and a unique set of interior photographs taken in the mid-1880s. However, Campbell's story was quite different from most Irish immigrants who settled in St. Louis during that era.

The City's near north side was originally settled by waves of immigrants, including those from Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland and members of the Jewish faith. The first Irish immigrants colonized the near north side near present-day Sixth and Biddle streets, which became St. Patrick's parish, one of two areas largely populated by Irish.

Around 1842, an Irish group from County Kerry settled in what later became known as the Kerry Patch.

The area, located just north of the Edward Jones Dome, near 18th and O'Fallon streets and Cass Avenue, was a violent, dangerous, and impoverished neighborhood. Other Irish immigrants lived in Cheltenham, an area centered at the intersection of present-day Hampton Avenue and Manchester Road.

Today, this locale is known as the
Dogtown neighborhood, which proudly touts its Irish heritage each year with the popular Ancient Order of Hibernians' Dogtown St. Patrick's Day Parade. The parish's priests at St. James the Greater Parish, founded in 1861, were Irish. Later in the decade, the Archdiocese commissioned St. Alphonsus Liguori Church, now known as "The Rock" church, on North Grand Avenue to accommodate the growing number of Irish parishioners.

By 1850, the city census reflected the tremendous influx of European transplants, as more than 40 percent of all St. Louisans were born in either Ireland or Germany. Irish immigrants often brought with them somewhat limited skills, so they were relegated to mostly lower level jobs. However, in 1852 rail connections to St. Louis opened, and many immigrants began working in the local clay mines as the clay and fire brick industry grew.

During the 1870s, the Irish were supplanted by large numbers of Polish immigrants in the Kerry Patch area, and by 1920 the area reflected a mix of global nationalities. The advent of Prohibition encouraged bootlegging among these diverse elements, which resulted in gang wars among the Irish gangsters.

These groups were known by colorful monikers including "Egan's Rats," "The Green Ones" and the "Hogan Gang." Eventually, vigilant police enforcement and the end of Prohibition brought a decline in the area's gang warfare.

For more information about St. Patrick's Day events, St. Louis' Irish heritage, or to book a hotel room, visit www.explorestlouis.com or call 800 916-0040. Order your free copy of the 2009 Official Visitors Guide and check out all of the things to do and places to see in St. Louis this year.