SAINT PATRICK’S DAY // PLENTY OF PLACES TO CELEBRATE IN TUSCALOOSA / BIRMINGHAM

SAINT PATRICK’S DAY // PLENTY OF PLACES TO CELEBRATE IN TUSCALOOSA / BIRMINGHAM

We hope you’ve got something green to wear, because if not, then you should expect to get a few pinches on Tuesday, March 17. February has come to an end and Spring is right around the corner, which means that St. Patrick’s Day will soon be upon us. I know what you’re thinking, “What, already? I swear it was just January.” Don’t fret about the quickly passing time, because this means we will all get to shed our heavy winter coats soon and look forward to warmer weather. Also, there is more to St. Patrick’s Day than getting pinched for failing to wear something green. St. Patrick’s Day is the time for everyone, Irish or not, to come together and celebrate.
If you plan on being in Tuscaloosa for St. Patrick’s Day and are looking for a way to get your Irish on, then you can head over to Innisfree Irish Pub on University Boulevard. If you want to get your St. Patrick’s Day celebration started bright and early, then you’re in luck, because Innisfree will be opening at 7 a.m. that day and will also have a free breakfast buffet. Hopefully, Innisfree will be taking full advantage of the opportunity to have all green everything and will be serving green eggs and ham during the buffet. If not, well then the free breakfast will still be a great way to kick start your celebration.
If you’re interested in a more kid-friendly St. Patrick’s Day celebration, then the Children’s Hands-On Museum will have everything you could want. The weekend before St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday, March 14, they will be hosting their St. Patrick’s Day Search for Shamrocks event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shamrock coins will be hidden all throughout the museum, and they can be traded in for prizes at their Lucky Leprechaun Shoppe.
The Children’s Hands-On Museum will also host a St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun Hunt on March 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Multiple activities will be held throughout the day, including rainbow-themed crafts, a leprechaun hunt, music, and Irish Lore with “Riverboat John”.
If you’re looking for more St. Patrick’s Day activities and are up for a little travel, you can visit Birmingham for a wide variety of options. The Five Points South St. Patrick’s Day Celebration presented by REV Birmingham and Five Points South is a two day celebration. The first day kicks off on Saturday, March 14 and will be featuring its 31st Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, led by the Ian Sturrock Memorial Pipe Band. The band, which has been leading the parade for many years, is named in honor of Ian Sturrock of Kilmarnock, Scotland, who was Birmingham’s first bagpiper and also the founder of the city’s first bagpipe band. The parade will run from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. This celebration is perfect for both kids and adults, featuring a little bit of something for everyone.
Irish food and drink specials will also be available at participating locations in Five Points South from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. You can get delicious food and beer at Cosmo’s Pizza, Black Market Bar & Grill, J Clyde, Mellow Mushroom, World of Beer, DAVE’S, The Red Zone, The Hotel Highland Bar, and Fuego Cantina. Beverage sponsors Alabama Beverage, Good People Brewing Company, Avondale Brewing Company, Straight to Ale, and Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey will be participating in the drink specials, offering $4.00 pints throughout the celebration. Day two of the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration is on Tuesday, March 17 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and the same drink and food specials will be available.
Birmingham’s Cahaba Brewing Company will be hosting their first ever St. Patrick’s Day celebration this year on March 17. The ShamROCK event will start at 5:30, and will have all the music, food, and booze you could want. The Heavy Hearts and Jesse Payne will be performing, and dinner from Shindig’s food truck will be available. The brewery is offering drink specials on its American Blonde, and it will also release its new Iris Stout at the celebration. If all of this isn’t enough to draw you in, there will also be giveaways, and who doesn’t like free stuff?
Innisfree’s Birmingham location will also be having their own St. Patrick’s Day celebration, the 24 Hours of Madness St. Patrick’s Day Bash. If you’re looking for an all day way to ring in St. Patrick’s Day, then this is a good choice. The Irish Pub will start off with free breakfast, or as they call it, Kegs and Eggs. Thee rest of the day will feature live music, bagpipe performances, giveaways, drink specials, and last but not least, green beer.
So, as March 17 approaches, make sure you’ve got something green to wear for one of the many celebrations in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, and hope that the luck of the Irish will bring us warm weather and blue skies so we can enjoy St. Patrick’s Day to the fullest.