St. Patrick’s Day is coming, and besides the obligatory drinking and garish green clothing, Grand Rapids has more than a firkin of festive events happening over the weekend.
1. St. Patrick’s Day Parade
(Saturday)
The 2019 St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be March 16 from 11 a.m. to noon. The route will go from Monroe Center mall, at 49 Monroe Center St. NW, to Veterans Memorial Park, at 101 Fulton St. E.
The parade is organized by Kent County Division One and the Rev. John Whalen McGee Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, an Irish Catholic fraternal organization.
Those interested in marching in the parade can contact the AOH for an entry form. Marchers should begin lining up at 9 a.m.
The AOH has sponsored the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Grand Rapids since 1980.
2. Irish on Ionia
(Saturday)
The Irish on Ionia block party will celebrate nine years in downtown Grand Rapids this weekend.
Performances on the main stage will go from 10 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. and feature the Ardan Academy of Irish Dance, DJ Slim Tim, Shreem x Celtic Remixing, Paddy’s Cure, Stone Soup & the Broken Teeth and many more.
The party by BarFly Ventures will go down Ionia Avenue between Fulton to Oakes streets.
Tickets are available here now. Festivities kick off March 16 at 7 a.m. and go until 10 p.m. Main photo via fb.com
3. Flanagan’s St. Patrick’s Day Party
(Saturday and Sunday)
Flanagan’s Irish Pub is also going hard with two days of St. Paddy’s celebrations.
The party begins at 7 a.m. on March 16 with green swag giveaways. Live music performances begin with the Barley Saints at noon, Peat in the Creel at 6 p.m. and Rich O’Burkholder and band at 9 p.m. Bagpipe bands will be performing all day.
The true St. Paddy’s celebration will begin on March 17 at 7 a.m. with a traditional Irish breakfast, the ceremonial “pouring of the first Guinness,” swag giveaways for the first 200 people and Irish drinking songs. The Sunday music lineup features Leprecons at noon and Paddy’s Cure at 4:30 p.m.
Flanagan’s is located on 139 Pearl St. NW in Grand Rapids.
4. Quinn & Tuite’s Irish Pub
(Saturday and Sunday)
Quinn & Tuite’s is belting out traditional tunes for St. Patrick’s Day. The pub will feature live music performances from the Conklin Ceili Band and Colin Tobin, both of Grand Rapids, as well as Brendan Loughery of Donegal, Ireland.
The pub will also lay out a traditional buffet of corned beef, potatoes and cabbage.
The performances are March 16 from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and March 17 from noon to 2:30 p.m. There is a small cover charge to attend.
Quinn & Tuite’s is located at 1535 Plainfield Ave. NE in Grand Rapids.
5. St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at The Knickerbocker
(Saturday)
New Holland Brewing’s Knickerbocker on is throwing a St. Patrick’s Day Celebration featuring $6 green vodka sodas, corned beef and cabbage and Langered Dewdrop, New Holland’s Irish Red Ale.
The event will also feature live music beginning at noon with Peat in the Creel, a Grand Rapids band presenting traditional Irish music with fiddle, flute, tin whistle, bodhran, bouzouki, guitar and vocals.
Other performances include Paddy’s Cure, Matt Kilroy and Daniel Holland.
The event is free and open to the public. Festivities go from 11 a.m. to midnight on March 16.
6. The Cottage Bar and One Trick Pony
(Saturday)
The Cottage Bar & Restaurant will be open for lunch after the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 16 with all types of Irish favorites, from corned beef to Irish Guinness stew.
Music will begin at 2 p.m. with Irish melodies and from 6-11 p.m. with Sean and Shamus McGillicudy, as well as an appearance in the evening from the Grand Rapids Pipe and Drum Band.
The Cottage Bar & Restaurant is at 18 LaGrave Ave. SE in Grand Rapids.
Alternatively, the One Trick Pony Grill & Taproom next door will have its annual St. Patrick’s Day Bash on March 16 from 6-11 p.m., featuring Grand Rapids band the Willeys.
One Trick Pony is located at 136 Fulton St. E in Grand Rapids.
7. Founders’ Irish Breakfast
(Saturday)
Founders will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at its Grand Rapids taproom with its first-ever Irish breakfast.
The event will feature Founders’ Oatmeal Stout in celebration of the day, as well as a nitro version and three firkin versions of the beer.
Tickets include a pour of Nitro Oatmeal Stout, a full Irish-themed breakfast buffet and a commemorative neoprene koozie.
Tickets are available on here. Mug Club Members have a special allotment of tickets and can claim them via their registered email address as the promotional code.
The event will go from 9-11 a.m. on March 16.
Founders’ Grand Rapids taproom is at 235 Grandville Ave. SW.
8. Gravity’s Beer Brunch: St. Paddy’s Edition
(Saturday)
Gravity Taphouse Grille will host its second Beer Brunch: St. Paddy’s Edition on March 16 at 10 a.m.
Guests can enjoy a five-course, Irish-inspired menu paired with craft beers for a flat fee.
You must call the restaurant at 616-719-4944 to reserve a spot.
Gravity is located at 3210 Deposit Dr. in Grand Rapids.
9. St. Patty’s Party at The B.O.B.
(Saturday)
Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day at The B.O.B. with a pint of Guinness or a peanut butter porter from 11 a.m. to midnight on March 16.
The celebration, presented by 105.3 Hot FM and Thunder 107.3 Grand Rapids, features a free pizza buffet, traditional Irish fare, live music and the last weekend for B.O.B.’s Brewery’s Peanut Butter Porter.
There is no cover charge before 9 p.m.
The B.O.B. is located at 20 Monroe Ave. NW in Grand Rapids.
10. Irish Jig
(Saturday)
The Spectrum Health Irish Jig 5k run/walk is coming back for its 36th year on March 16. The start of the race is in East Grand Rapids, at 2211 Lake Dr., where participants will check-in prior to the event. Top age group winners and qualifying teams will receive prizes, and top overall finishers will receive cash awards.
The course features long straightaways on Wealthy, Lake and Hall Streets. It is mostly flat with a few gentle hills.
Spectrum Health is producing this event to raise awareness for colon cancer.
A “staggered” start will begin at 8:30 a.m. Walkers will start at about 8:45 a.m.
Online early-bird registration is available here through today at 11:59 p.m. Late registration will be available at the high school gym during the Health and Fitness Expo on March 15 from 4-7 p.m. and March 16 from 7-8:30 a.m.
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