Week o’ Green |
St. Paddy’s performances & more
Where to experience more Irish culture and less spilled beer.
By SARAH TELESCA | March 7, 2019
Do you love Irish culture and yearn for ways to celebrate St Patrick’s Day without the near-requisite green-tinged hangover? Creative Pinellas has rounded up a number of events that will help you celebrate the Irish holiday at a little bit of a slower speed — don’t worry, there is still loads of beer, hearty Irish food, traditional dancing and upbeat music.
Celtic Woman Get a head start on St. Paddy’s Day with Celtic Woman at the Mahaffey Theatre on Wednesday, March 13. If you’re new to Celtic Woman, they’re a Grammy-nominated performing collective that celebrates the cultural and musical heritage of Ireland. Their latest release, Ancient Land tells traditional Irish stories of the land, love, and dancing. More info here and tickets here.
Mayor’s River O’Green Fest The eighth annual Irish-themed celebration dyes the Hillsborough River green in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. For the more active crowd among us, start with the River O’Green Gallop in the morning, a 2-mile fun run/walk winding along the picturesque Tampa Riverwalk. Watch the river turn green at 11 a.m., then follow up the spectacle with a Leprechaun costume contest, adult scavenger hunt, and of course, live music, delicious food and cold drinks. The festival takes place for free Saturday March 16. Click here for more details.
Ailigéadar Irish Dance Company For those hoping to witness lively, authentic Irish dance, the Ailigéadar Irish Dance Company will be performing at St. Pete’s Three Birds Tavern on Saturday, March 16, from 1 to 2 p.m. The group hails from the University of Florida, hence their name, which if you say out loud can probably guess it’s meaning —“ailigéadar” translates to “alligator” in Irish. Click here for event info.
Four Green fields Irish Weekend Celebration Celebrate with Tampa’s authentic Irish pub at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park on Friday, March 15. Catch Sean Doyle the Emigrant at 7 p.m., then head over to Platt Street for Celtic duo Brayzen Heads’ first show of the weekend. If you miss them the first go-around, both bands will be playing again Saturday at the same times and places as Friday. To round out the weekend, grab an Irish lunch at Four Green Fields starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 17, and stick around for live music starting at 11 a.m. and going all day. Click here for full event info.
St. Patrick’s Weekend at Sundial St. Pete For anyone looking for a St. Paddy’s twist on a leisurely weekend, you’ll want to head over to Sundial St. Pete for their St. Patrick’s weekend going on Friday-Sunday March 15-17. Get ready to stretch in the Sundial courtyard Saturday midday with free Luck O’ the Irish Yoga, complete with raffles and free post-yoga matcha tasting from Min’s Matcha. After you’ve recaptured your mindfulness, check out an Irish dance performance at 2 p.m. followed by dance instruction from the Gilleóghan Irish Dance troupe, then head over to Happy Feet plus for a foot massage and St. Paddy’s Sip N’ Shop. If you visit the Mall at Sundial at any point over the St. Patrick’s weekend you’ll want to make sure you’ve got something green on, because a number of shops are all offering discounts and perks for your festivity. There’s plenty to do all weekend, so check out the full details and register here.
Crooked Thumb Brewery St. Paddy’s Day Eve Celebration For traditional Irish fare including bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie and corned beef hash coupled with energetic Irish sing-along music, you’ll want to head up to Crooked Thumb Brewery for their St. Paddy’s Day Eve celebration. No green beer here, just delicious brews, food, and Paddy O’Furniture playing all day long (pictured above too). Saturday March 16th at Crooked Thumb. Get full event details here.
The Guinness Duo The melodious Jim and Laura Farrell will be performing Sunday, March 17, at Finley’s Irish Pub and Eatery. A favorite at Finley’s for more than 10 years, they’ll travel all the way from Prince Edward Island to preform here on St. Patricks Day. They take the stage at noon, so bring the kids and enjoy the day outside with some exciting Irish tunes from the two-piece. Full details here.
