Is Columbia better than Savannah for St. Patrick’s Day? This survey says so

Grab a pint of Guinness and raise your glass, Columbia. The Capital City has been ranked one of the best cities for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, according to a new survey.

Columbia ranked No. 25 on WalletHub’s list of the Best Cities for St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations, which was released Wednesday and ranked 200 U.S. cities based on their celebrations. Taking the top spot was Chicago, followed by Philadelphia, Madison, Wisc., Boston and Tampa, Fla.

St. Pat’s in Five Points is one of the largest parties in Columbia each year and draws upward of 45,000 revelers to the Five Points district — and its green fountain — each year.

Of note on the rankings is that Columbia ranked two spots ahead of Savannah, Georgia, whose St. Patrick’s Day Festival draws hundreds of thousands each year and features one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the country, according to Southern Living.

To determine the rankings, surveyors compared 200 of the most populated U.S. cities across four key criteria: St. Patrick’s Day traditions, including parades, parties and festivals per capita and access to bars; costs, including average price of party ticket, average beer price and lowest price of a three-star hotel on the day of celebrations; safety and accessibility, including crime rate, DUI-related fatalities and walkability; and St. Patrick’s Day weather, including forecasted vs. average temperature and forecasted precipitation.

Alternative rock band Dashboard Confessional will headline this year’s St. Pat’s in Five Points on March 16. More than two dozen other bands are included in this year’s lineup.

In addition to multiple stages featuring live music, the event includes a parade, 5K and 10K road races and a plethora of vendors selling food, drink and merchandise.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the festival.