The time of year has come to don your greenest apparel, search for lucky four-leaf clovers or pots of gold and reflect on our country’s rich Irish heritage. Toast the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick, by warming up with a Guinness and corned beef inside a cozy Irish pub. Or, if you want to do something more active than sip on a beer, join in the many races, parades or festivals throughout the city. With a variety of events happening all over the city, there are countless options for St. Patty’s Day fun. Check out these seven fun ideas for celebrating the luck o’ the Irish in Seattle.
1. St. Patrick’s Day Dash
Lace up your tennis shoes, pick out your most festive ensemble and become a part of the rippling ribbon of green winding through the streets of downtown Seattle during the F5 St. Patrick’s Day Dash. Race, walk or crawl next to the likes of giant leprechauns, human pots of gold, a group of Guinness cans or grown men in a glowing-green tutus and help fill the city with Irish spirit.
Once you cross the finish line, be sure to stop by the Post Dash Bash where you can get your fill of green beer in the biggest St. Patrick’s Day beer garden in the region, dance to live music and compete to see who has the most creative costume. When signing up for the run, be sure to use discount code CLIPPER5 for a $5 discount off your registration.
2. St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Listen to the festive sound of bagpipes as more than 2,000 marchers, pirates, drill teams, Irish dancers and even a gaggle of leprechauns follow the bright green stripe down the center of 4th Avenue during the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Recognized as one of the top ten Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations in Seattle, the parade is a great activity for families of all ages. Everyone is invited to participate in the parade and Irish descendants can find the county they believe their ancestors came from and march behind the Provincial Banner for the region.
3. Irish Festival at Seattle Center
Brimming with performances, hands-on activities, visual arts and a lively marketplace, the annual two day Irish Festival at the Seattle Center Armory is the perfect way to soak in the culture of the Emerald Isle. Nosh on Irish food and beer, listen to Irish tunes, try your luck at step dancing or the Irish jig or teach yourself a few Gaelic words and phrases.
Have Irish roots? Trace them in genealogy workshops as well as learn everything you wanted to know about Ireland at one of the many different lectures and workshops being held in the area. If you are looking for activities that are bit quieter, explore the colorful art displays around the Center or check out captivating Irish movies during the Irish Reels Film Festival.
4. St. Day Patrick’s Day Party
While most St. Patrick’s Day party’s do not begin until after noon, the early bird gets the best brew at Fado Irish Pub. Get a jump start on all the fun by stopping by for “Kegs and Eggs,” a special brunch menu that kicks off at 7:30am. If you want to start celebrating even earlier, be sure to also check out the pub’s noteworthy events leading up to the big day.
Sip on more than 10 malty whiskeys from Midleton Distillery as well as Guinness’ best collection of beers during the Deluxe Irish Whiskey Tasty on March 15. For some friendly competition, stop by on March 16 to see how well you know your Irish history on quiz night.
5. St. Patrick’s Day Dinning
Prefer to celebrate your Irish heritage by snacking on the delicious corned beef stew, Irish soda bread or boxty cake? A few local restaurants are offering their take on the traditional favorites and are producing mouthwatering results. Dine on corned beef in sandwich form with buns piled high with the savory meat, braised cabbage, Irish cheddar and caraway ailoli at Bell and Whete. You can also go all out and feast on five courses of Irish fare, from corned beef and beer braised cabbage to whipped chocolate and Jameson custard, at Mulleady’s Irish Pub.
6. St. Patrick’s Irish Festival
St. Patrick’s Day would not be St. Patrick’s Day without a visit to a quintessential Irish pub. Celebrate the holiday all week long with Irish cuisine (think platters of creamy Kerrygold cheese and hearty shepards pie), live Irish music, dancing and plenty of Guinness, Jameson and more to get you in the party spirit at Kells in Pike Place Market. The week culminates with a huge festival on St. Patrick’s Day itself, featuring special hours, breakfast and outdoor tent.
7. Capitol Hill St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl
If you have not gotten enough beer to satiate your thirst, explore some of the most popular bars in the city on a St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl that will start at Sam’s Tavern on Capitol Hill. Since not everyone can go out on a Thursday to ring in the Celtic occasion, there will be three days’ worth of events, beginning with a Kick-Off Happy Hour and Leprechaun Lap on March 11 and 12 and concluding with the Irish Stroll on St. Patrick’s Day. For those who don’t mind if the festivities get a little lively, the crawl is a great way to meet new friends and take advantage of phenomenal drink specials.
From fun runs to pub crawls, there are no shortage of ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the Emerald City. Grab your favorite lads and lassies and join in the fun in near you!