St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Chicago
Chicago’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will celebrate the city’s Irish-American history with vibrant floats and dancers winding through the city streets. Scheduled for Saturday 14 March, the event will see thousands of spectators lining the parade route along downtown Chicago.
As always, a stretch of the Chicago River usually between Columbus Drive and State Street, will be dyed a luminescent green, using an eco-friendly powder that lasts up to five hours.
Participants will include marching bands, cultural organisations, and community groups showcasing traditional Irish costumes and music. The event also features family-friendly activities, food vendors, and opportunities to enjoy classic Irish fare.
Agritourism project launches in Okinawa, Japan
In March, The Ogimi Marugoto Tourism Association is launching a new agritourism initiative. Set among the sugarcane fields and subtropical hills of northern Okinawa, the project will blend sustainable farming, wellness and slow travel.
Travellers will be able to join hands-on workshops in traditional Awamori rice-spirit brewing, local fruit harvesting and bingata textile dyeing using natural plant pigments.
Guests stay in eco-designed villas built with Okinawan wood and coral milestone, dine on seasonal island produce, and join community-led tours that connect them to the land and the people who nurture it.
In addition, the F1 Japanese Grand Prix takes place from 27-29 March 2026 at the Suzuka Circuit. Located in Mie Prefecture in the Kii Peninsula, the venue has been host to the F1 since 1987.
The Monarch hotel opens in San Antonio
The Monarch San Antonio, a new 17-story luxury hotel, is set to open on 3 March 2026 in San Antonio’s Hemisfair District, following more than a decade of development. Inspired by the annual migration of monarch butterflies, the $185 million (£139 million) property will commemorate the creatures with a sculptural pavilion in the shape of a butterfly.
The Monarch San Antonio, a member of the Curio Collection by Hilton, will feature 200 rooms (including 28 suites), a rooftop pool, a Yucatan-themed restaurant, and a wood-fired steakhouse, all offering views of the River Walk and nearby parkland.
Manta Retreat at InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort
InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort has announced the return of its Manta Retreat, taking place from 24–27 March 2026. During this time, juvenile manta rays swim in the resort’s lagoon, sited on the edge of a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
Hosted in partnership with marine conservation organisation The Manta Trust, the four-day programme invites travellers to step into the world of marine biology with hands-on research activities. Guests can take part in guided snorkelling tours, manta excursions led by the Trust’s team, coral restoration workshops and educational sessions. Participants will also have the opportunity to adopt and name a manta ray.
Scotland’s new £3 million spa break destination
A new spa break destination has opened on the Ayrshire coast, 40 minutes south of Glasgow. With views over the Firth of Clyde towards the Isle of Arran, the family-run Waterside Hotel at West Kilbride has unveiled its new spa and restaurant, following a major £3 million development.
Si! Spa at The Waterside offers ishga and ESPA treatments, and bespoke spa break packages. Thermal experiences start from £40 per person offering two hours’ use of the spa facilities. The spa features six treatment rooms, a four-person Rasul experience and indoor thermal area with steam room. There are also experience showers and relaxation areas, plus a fire pit and sauna with views across to Ailsa Craig.
Celebrate Cheshire Day 2026
Cheshire Day is marked annually on 30 March and commemorates the day in 1300 when King Edward I granted the county its Charter of Liberties. The theme for 2026 is ‘Made in Cheshire’ and festivities will revolve around everything from the county’s bounty and passionate artisans, to its key industries of cheese, salt and silk.
In the week leading up to Cheshire Day (23-30 March), celebrations will take place across the country including at Restaurant 209 in Farndon, where husband-and-wife team Felix Shore and Anna Roseblade-Shore will serve a special Cheshire Tart. Forest Distillery will offer bespoke cocktail Macc Forest Fizz at their Cat & Fiddle bar, featuring dry vermouth, freshly squeezed lime juice and handmade syrup infused with Cheshire pines.
Handa Opera opens in Sydney Harbour
Bathed in the glow of the Sydney city skyline, with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge as a backdrop, the annual open-air Handa Opera has been transforming theatre into an immersive spectacle under the stars since its launch in 2012.
In 2026, the event returns with a staging of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera – celebrating the musical’s 40th anniversary. Set upon a floating stage suspended over the water of Sydney Harbour at Mrs Macquarie’s Point, this production promises mirrored illusions in the Phantom’s lair and climactic fireworks lighting up Sydney’s night sky.
