Arizona cities appear to be on the low end when it comes to choices to spend St. Patrick’s Day, according to a report, but Valley folks tied to the Irish culture don’t see it as such.

With St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow and at least $5.6 billion expected to be spent for the holiday this year, personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2019’s Best Cities for St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations.

Surprisingly, Peoria is the highest city in Arizona at No. 84. Chandler and Gilbert are next at Nos. 86 and 93, respectively. Tucson is the highest non-Valley city at No. 113.

“Safety is one category where Arizona cities don’t fare very well,” said Jill Gonzalez, analyst at WalletHub. “They have some of the most DUI related fatalities in motor vehicle crashes per capita. Despite Peoria’s large share of Irish population, 11.6 percent, low average beer price, and low crime rate, it offers little accessibility to bars, and accommodation is very expensive.”

To determine the best cities for celebrating Irish-American heritage, WalletHub compared 200 of the largest U.S. cities across 17 key metrics, ranging from Irish pubs and restaurants per capita, to lowest price for a three-star hotel on St. Patrick’s Day, to weather forecast.

Jeff Aspland, director of marketing for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Faire in Phoenix, said he was surprised to see how low Arizona cities scored on that latter metric.

“Which leaves me thinking that ‘best’ is only factored by what they could Google search versus truly experiencing the atmosphere,” Mr. Aspland stated in an email to the Daily News-Sun.

“St. Patrick’s Day is more than a party,” Mr. Aspland continued. “It is a celebration of Irish culture and Arizona hosts a large Irish community that was missed in the survey focused on the ‘party’ side.”

Elaine Lewinnek, professor of American Studies at California State University- Fullerton, has a similar mindset on the holiday.

“Just like Cinco de Mayo, it purports to be a holiday from another nation, but is most celebrated within America, recognizing a group that was not always welcomed, and devolving into an excuse to drink,” Ms. Lewinnek told WalletHub. “The party aspect has now eclipsed the historic commemoration, but the ethnic pride remains.”

Mr. Aspland attributed a 2013 survey that found 11 percent of Arizonans claim Irish heritage. According to WalletHub, 32.6 million Americans claim Irish ancestry, second only to German.

Ireland’s population was under 4.8 million as of 2017.

Stepping away from the celebrations, Mr. Aspland mentioned there are five Irish dance schools across the Valley, and around 12 Irish pubs, depending on your definition. The Desert Shamrock is a dedicated Irish newspaper which people can find at their local pub.

Away from the Valley, Arizona has a GAA team known as the Flagstaff Mountain Hounds GAA Club. Mr. Aspland also touted Phoenix’s Irish Cultural Center, which hosts classes focused on the Irish (Gaelic) Language and traditional Irish music. The center also hosts Irish lecturers.

Despite their closeness to Phoenix, which has a St. Patrick’s Day parade and an Irish center, it shouldn’t be any harder for the cities in the Valley to rank higher.

“Many bigger cities or suburbs did well on these rankings,” Ms. Gonzalez said. “Overall, Phoenix ranked 167th, which is in the bottom half. And aside from Glendale and Mesa, all the other cities in the metro area ranked above it. So, I don’t think we can say that the proximity to Phoenix had any influence on the ranking of the cities in its metro area.”

Besides Phoenix, Chandler is the only other city in the metro area with a parade. Glendale hosts St. Patrick’s Day weekend runs for all ages to enjoy, including the Kiss Me- I’m Irish half-marathon today, March 16.

“More parades in the other cities would bring more people,” Ms. Gonzalez said when asked what the rest of the Valley could do to better its St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. “On that same note, more Irish pubs and restaurants, as well as organizing St. Patrick’s Day themed parties and festivals would make each city more attractive and unique.”

In addition to having more events, Mr. Aspland said Arizona’s Irish brass can better promote events around the state.

“There is always something Irish to enjoy in Arizona,” he said. “The Valley continues to grow and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Faire committee has seen it first-hand.

"We have seen steady growth in attendance at the Parade and the faire over the past five years. This is due to improved Arizona population and tourist growth, new forms of marketing, as well as including more local businesses in the activities.”

If you or someone you know is planning on drinking more than they can handle — St. Patrick’s Day ranks No. 3 among the most popular drinking days, per WalletHub — the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is partnering with ride-share service Lyft to offer safe, free-to-cheap rides.

Through the end of Sunday, first-time users who download the Lyft app can get $5 off their first four rides by entering the promo code “BELUCKY.” Those who already have the Lyft app can enter the code “BELUCKY19” to receive 20 percent off two rides allowing them to get to and from festivities safely.

MCAO said nearly 14,000 people took advantage of the campaign in 2018, compared to just under 1,500 people who used the codes in 2017.

“This offer should be embraced by people as a way to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day without posing a risk to themselves or others on our roads and highways,” Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery stated in a release. “If you plan on celebrating this holiday at your favorite pub, don’t rely on the luck of the Irish to get you home safely.

Use Lyft or another safe ride home instead.”

View WalletHub’s full report and city rankings here.