Ramstein is near Kaiserslautern. Located southwest of Frankfurt, it has a population of about 18,000. Since 1969, it has been joined with the town of Miesenbach and nine local villages to form a community known as Ramstein-Miesenbach. Other neighboring places include Katzenbach, Kottweiler and Spesbach.
Because of the air base, Ramstein has a very diverse population for a town of its size. Ramstein Air Base is home to both the U.S. Air Force in Europe and air forces of NATO's European member states. As a result, thousands of military personnel and their families from the U.S., Germany, France, Poland, Norway, Denmark and the United Kingdom live in the town.
The annual Ramstein St. Patrick's Day Parade takes place on the base on the Saturday morning before St Patrick's Day (which is March 17). More than 120 dancers as well as the Teen Center Drumline march through the center of the site.
Parade participants and others from the military community in the area join together for a carnival celebration at the Ramstein Youth Center after the annual march. This free event includes fun activities and games for the younger members of the community.
Ramstein's multinational community has fostered a thriving nightlife in the town, so much so that it has more bars per capita than any other place in Germany. Among these venues are two Irish bars, the Blarney Stone Irish Pub in the central Landstuhl district and the Dubliner pub on Reichswald Street. Both host cultural events aimed at the town's international contingent throughout the year.
The Blarney Stone Irish Pub hosts a full week of St. Patrick's Festival events. The bar stages special sports screenings, poker competitions, quiz nights and live Irish music performances between March 12 and 17. On St. Patrick's Day itself, the Blarney Stone hosts a Super St. Patrick's Day Party with a dance show, green beer, live music and free giveaways.
