St. Patrick’s Day festivities can be seen as an excuse for binge drinking and egregious uses of the color green, but here in NYC, there are also some pretty rad events worth your time, money, and liver. Read on for our top recommendations.
SATURDAY
New York City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade A classic: the parade marches up Fifth Avenue from 44th Street, past St. Patrick’s Cathedral, all the way to The Met at 86th Street. Bundle up and get a spot early if you’re really into the standing-around-watching-bagpipers thing. Or, pop open a Guinness at home and watch it on TV starting at 11am. — Jason Diamond
Shaw Promotion and A+D present Bootie NYC: St. Paddy’s Party The Bootie parties make a business (and a fun one, at that) out of mash-ups. For this special St. Paddy edition, they’ve brought in acclaimed SF cover (and mash-up) band Smash-Up Derby for a live mash-up set at LPR at 11:30pm. — Leah Taylor
Black 47 St. Patrick’s Day Show If you’re a fan of Flogging Molly or the Dropkick Murphys, you really owe your allegiance to Black 47, who started the whole Irish-American rock thing in 1993 with their hit single, “Funky Ceili.” Catch them tonight at B.B. King’s, where they continue to mix traditional Irish music with rock, reggae, and modern jazz. — Leah Taylor
SUNDAY
St. Patrick’s Day at The Woods There’s really no such thing as a low-key St. Pat’s party, but The Woods is far enough away from the hordes of parade attendees that it makes sense to stay local and listen to traditional Irish music, eat Guiness-braised chicken with cabbage and mashed potatoes, and drink cheap Tullamore Dew. — Jason Diamond
St. Patrick’s Day at The Richardson Grab a plate of home-corned beef or a flight of Red Breast whiskey on the cheap! And you avoid Manhattan entirely, again. — Leah Taylor
St. Patrick’s Whiskey Feast A recent and welcome addition to the lower Manhattan drinking scene, the Dead Rabbit is the handiwork of Sean Muldoon, the acclaimed barman from the multi-award-winning cocktail bar at the Merchant Hotel in Northern Ireland. The bar combines sophisticated cocktail service with the best of the Irish-British tavern tradition. This evening, the establishment is dialing up its green roots with a delicious assortment of Jameson Black Barrel cocktails, live Irish music, traditional tap dancing, and complimentary beef stew. — Mindy Bond