Get ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as only Houstonians can — with a little something for everyone.
For the traditionalists, how about mass at the Chapel of St. Basil and brunch? For the film buffs? Irish Movie Week at Bellaire City Library. Single science lovers? The Houston Museum of Natural Science’s St. Patty’s Day Mixer. And for the revelers, be prepared to go “Under the Tent” at Kenneally’s, pick up your Pot O’ Gold — VIP ticket, that is — for the Lucky’s Pub St. Patrick’s Day Festival, or walk “The Green Mile” at the Midtown block party.
That’s not to mention the Irish dancers, bagpipers, live music and parades. In short, there’s more than enough happening around the Bayou City to keep you busy this St. Patrick’s Day.
MARCH 10
Lucky’s Pub 10th Annual St. Practice Day
Golf Tournament
Wildcat Golf Club
12000 Almeda
832-526-8764
luckyspub.com
Complimentary drinks will be served all day by Lucky’s Lovelies at the St. Practice Day Golf Tournament. The entry fee ($150 for individuals, $600 for a team and $700 for a corporate entry) includes 18 holes, a golf cart, and lunch before and dinner after the tournament. Tee time is at noon, and prizes will be awarded to the first-, second- and third-place winners.
MARCH 11
58th Annual Houston St. Patrick’s Parade
1800 Texas
713-365-9648
hsppc.org
Everyone is Irish for the day at this year’s “Living Green in Seventeen”-themed parade, which promises more than 100 entries — Irish dancers, bagpipers, marching bands, vintage and art cars, antique fire trucks and beauty queens, to name a few. Grand marshal Ginger Simon leads the two-hour, rain-or-shine community parade, which starts at noon at the Clock Tower at Minute Maid Park on Texas Avenue, and then heads west before ending at Preston and Crawford.
Griff’s Post-Parade Party and 20th Annual Irish Stew Cook-Off
3416 Roseland
713-528-9912
griffshouston.net
Though Irish stew is in the name, competitors also vie for best chicken, chili and open dish. Head over to Griff’s after the parade at noon for live music and to see who will take home the top prizes and trophies for “Best Decorated Booth” and “Most Creative Stew.”
Houston Sports & Social Club
St. Practice Day Pub-Golf Crawl
Washington Avenue Corridor
832-930-4632
houstonssc.com
Don your finest green or golf attire for this golf-themed St. Practice pub crawl. Participants can compete in nine different challenges to score points for prizes as they crawl through the Washington Avenue corridor.
Shamrock Stroll Saint Paddy’s Pub Crawl
Midtown
pubcrawls.com
For $10 you can join this “Luck of the Irish” pub crawl and access all the participating Midtown venues. Pub crawl maps available the day of the crawl only.
St. Practice Day Pub Crawl
Downtown
nightcrawlerspubcrawls.com
If you believe practice makes perfect, join the St. Practice Pub Crawl to hit up 15 bars for $3 shots, beers and cocktails. Participating bars include Christian’s Tailgate, El Big Bad, Molly’s Pub and Conservatory. Pre-sale tickets available for $20, and costumes are welcome.
The Texas Army’s Greening of the Bayou
Downtown
texasarmy.org
For more than 30 years the Texas Army re-enactment group has donned its best 1830s attire, filled muzzle-loaded cannons with green dye and honored the early Irish settlers by “greening” Buffalo Bayou. Join them at 10 a.m. behind the Spaghetti Warehouse at 901 Commerce for all the pomp and circumstance, before heading over to the parade at Minute Maid.
MARCH 12
39th Annual FM 1960 St. Patrick’s Parade
Champion Forest and FM 1960
281-378-0800
1960parade.com
H-E-B’s Scott McClelland grand marshals this year’s 1960 St. Patrick’s Parade, which includes an appearance by the Budweiser Clydesdales. Don’t forget to check out the vendor market setting up shop in the Home Depot parking lot at 4159 FM 1960 West at Gladebrook for carnival food, games and face painting. Proceeds benefit the Cypress Creek EMS Scholarship Fund.
Pinot’s Palette Blarney Brushes and Brunch
Omni Houston Hotel at Westside
13210 Katy Freeway
713-975-7867
pinotspalette.com
Pinot’s Palette leaves the studio for a St. Patrick’s-themed painting and brunch at Omni Houston Hotel at Westside. The $50 open studio event includes a 10×10 self-guided painting and a Sunday brunch buffet from Café on the Lake. If that’s not enough, how about bottomless champagne mimosas? Interested parties must register online.
MARCH 13-17
Bellaire City Library’s Irish Movie Week
5111 Jessamine, Bellaire
713-662-8166
bellairetx.gov
The Daughter of Rosie O’Grady kicks off Irish Movie Week at the Bellaire City Library, which includes afternoon screenings of My Wild Irish Rose and Irish Eyes Are Smiling and concludes on St. Patrick’s Day with the 1952 John Ford-John Wayne classic The Quiet Man. All showings are free.
MARCH 17
2nd Annual “The Green Mile”
St. Patrick’s Block Party
Capitol Bar Midtown
2415 Main
713-487-6854
2ndannualthegreenmilehou.eventbrite.com
Once again Capitol Bar, Leon’s Lounge, Mongoose Versus Cobra, Traffic Lounge, Rose Gold Cocktail Den and Clé join forces to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with live entertainment, games, raffles, and free crawfish and green beer for the first 100 people. Tickets start at $10 ($20 at the door), and the $40 VIP package includes quick line access, two drink and raffle tickets, and access to Clé until 2 a.m.
Children’s Museum of Houston
McTeggart Irish Dancers
1500 Binz
713-522-1138
cmhouston.org
The McTeggart Irish Dancers stop by the Children’s Museum at 3 p.m. to show off some traditional Irish step dancing and give kids a taste of Irish culture.
Griff’s 52nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival
3416 Roseland
713-528-9912
griffshouston.net
Three weeks of festivities at Griff’s culminate in a festival of music all day and night. Acts including the Zydeco Dots, Thunderado, Jerry Jones Irish Sax Band and The Tomes grace the two stages at Griff’s while the beer flows. Tickets are $10 ($15 at the door).
Howl at the Moon St. Patrick’s Day Extravaganza
612 Hadley
713-658-9700
howlatthemoon.com/houston
The St. Paddy’s Day party at Howl at the Moon is all about celebration and shenanigans. Doors open at 3 p.m., and until 2 a.m. guests can enjoy green beer, leprechaun bombs, car bombs and the return of the “Get Lucky” bucket.
Kenneally’s Irish Pub 34th Annual
“Under the Tent” Party
2111 South Shepherd
713-630-0486
irishpubkenneallys.com
Kenneally’s Irish Pub opens for lunch on St. Patrick’s Day — serving stew, Guinness Bread and sandwiches — and parties into the night with pizza, live music, step dancers and bagpipers. Irish rock band the Blaggards kick off the party on Thursday, St. Patrick’s Eve, at 7 p.m.
Lucky’s Pub St. Patrick’s Day Festival
Downtown
801 St. Emanuel
713-522-2010
The Heights
2520 Houston
713-862-2400
Cypress
27126 Northwest Freeway
281-758-2514
Katy
17754 Katy Freeway
281-206-7369
Green beer, leprechauns and bagpipers are aplenty at Lucky’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival, now at four locations. Downtown at the original Lucky’s, doors open at 6 a.m. for Lucky Charms and breakfast tacos, and the fun continues with 94.5 The Buzz broadcasting live all day, plus 15 bands and six DJs across three stages. This year, pick up a Pot O’ Gold ($60) or Luxury Lodge ($200) VIP ticket for added perks like food from Chuy’s, private bars and service staff, a game zone, and plenty of swag.
McGonigel’s St. Patrick’s Day
Celebration at the Mucky Duck
2425 Norfolk
713-528-5999
mcgonigels.com
The big-top tent returns to the Duck to celebrate the best of Celtic culture with emcee Jim Mackenzie and music from the Piper Jones Band, Kristin Coyle & The Black Swans, Frances Cunningham and Whitney Rose; Irish dancers; an Irish sing-along; and corned beef and cabbage all day. Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 at the door.
Michael Londra’s Celtic Fire
Miller Outdoor Theatre
6000 Hermann Park
281-373-3386
milleroutdoortheatre.com
Celtic Fire, Miller Outdoor Theatre’s 2017 season opener, stars Irish tenor Michael Londra in a celebration of Irish culture and dance set to traditional Irish instruments like the fiddle, bodhrán and uilleann pipes — perfect for St. Patrick’s Day and absolutely free.
Saint Arnold’s St. Patrick’s Day
2000 Lyons
713-686-9494
saintarnold.com
Come out and watch the crowning of a new Donegal Beard Growing champ at Saint Arnold brewery and enjoy its full beer lineup and Irish stew bread bowls from 5 to 10 p.m. Even better? This year the festivities at Saint Arnold are free.
St. Patrick’s Day at
The Woodlands Children’s Museum
4775 West Panther Creek Drive
The Woodlands
281-465-0955
woodlandschildrensmuseum.org
Join The Woodlands Children’s Museum for an Irish-at-heart tribute with traditional Irish dancing from Cloggers Unlimited and the McTeggart Irish Dancers. Juggler Claude Sims will also be on hand to delight the young and young at heart.
Fitzgerald’s St. Patrick’s Day
Parking Lot Party & Blues Jam
2706 White Oak
713-862-3838
fitzlive.com
Bluesman Mark May returns to the Heights to host a nonstop jam session that benefits the National Down Syndrome Society, in a parking lot packed with vendors, beer specials and Irish whiskey. Doors open at noon, and the music starts at 2 p.m. All ages welcome.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science
St. Patty’s Day Mixer
5555 Hermann Park
713-639-4629
hmns.org
Join HMNS Mixers and Elixirs for their adults-only, thinking man’s (and woman’s) St. Paddy’s party. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the ticket ($15 for museum members and $25 for nonmembers) gets you access to food trucks (Nom Mi Street, OffBeat Eatz and It’s a Wrap!), dancing, live music from Satellite and a cash bar.
University of St. Thomas Annual
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
3802 Yoakum
713-525-3592
stthom.edu
The University of St. Thomas’s William J. Flynn Center for Irish Studies presents a mass led by the Reverend Sean P. Horrigan at the Chapel of St. Basil, followed by a reception and a brunch with both traditional and Irish-American dishes. Free, but RSVP -required.
MARCH 17-18
Mo’s Irish Pub St. Patrick’s Day Celebration!
138 Vintage Park
281-251-0715
mosirishpub.com
Mo’s Irish Pub boasts green beer, bagpipes and Irish dancing at its two-day St. Patrick’s Day extravaganza. Stop by for the Irish-American menu, which includes food and drink specials, live music — Leo Mendoza, Turnmics and ThunderPants on Friday; OMG and Infinity’s Twin on Saturday — raffle prizes and free hugs.
MARCH 18
Bellaire City Library Presents
Clann Kelly Irish Dance
5111 Jessamine
Bellaire
713-662-8166
bellairetx.gov
Students from the Clann Kelly Irish Dance School, under the instruction of teacher Anna Kelly, stop by the Bellaire City Library to put on a program of traditional Irish dance.
Lucky Irish Food Truck Festival
130 Spring School Road
Spring
4wheelsfoodfest.com
More than 15 food trucks descend on Preservation Park in Old Town Spring for a day of food and fun for the whole family — bounce houses, a petting zoo, a trackless train, live music, Irish dancers and green beer. Admission is $10 and free for kids 12 and under, police, firefighters, first responders, service members and teachers with a valid ID. Proceeds go to Emergency Ministries.
MARCH 26
32nd Annual “Lookin’ Good”
Shamrock Strut Fun Run
2855 Gramercy
713-558-8740
foundation.houstoneye.com
Work off all that green beer at a fun run. The “Lookin’ Good” Shamrock Strut Fun Run includes a Kids K, 5K and 10K, with awards given to best overall and master finishers. Come in your best St. Paddy’s Day gear and enter the costume contest to win Most Green, Most Irish or Most Unique. The post-race party includes face painting, moonwalks, games and prizes, a hula hoops station, arts and crafts, food and drinks, and music.
This article appears in Mar 2-8, 2017.
