When he won the contest, he took home $50,000. Now, he comes up with clever toasts on a whim. News4’s Tommy McFly has the story.
Get ready to wear green, raise a pint and say sláinte (the Gaelic word for cheers, which is pronounced "slawn-che")!
St. Patrick's Day falls on a Monday this year, but you can get into shenanigans all weekend.
A parade in Gaithersburg, a large festival on The Wharf, an Irish Village at the Guinness brewery in Baltimore and live music at Irish bars are just a few highlights from our list below.
Bar crawls are popping up in all the usual neighborhood haunts, including Dupont Circle (Sat., $10+), Shaw (Fri., $13.26+), Penn Quarter (Sat., $17.99+), downtown (Sat., $20+), U Street (Sat., $7.50+), and Old Town Alexandria (Sat., $4.99+).
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St. Patrick is the patron saint of the Emerald Isle, but the holiday has a long history in the United States. In fact, the first-ever St. Patrick's Day parade wasn't held in Ireland — but in Boston in 1737, according to Ireland.com.
Celebrate responsibly. Never drink and drive. SoberRide is set to offer a limited quantity of $15 Lyft credits so you can get home safely — check their website for details.
St. Patrick's Day festivals and more special events
The Scene
The most fun things to do and places to be in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
Guinness Open Gate Brewery
Through March 17, Baltimore, Maryland
🔗 Details
Guinness’ Baltimore outpost is transporting you straight to Dublin through St. Patrick’s Day. Grab a pint from the Irish Village, snack at curated food stalls and enjoy plenty of live music. It’s free to enter. For an extra fee, you can print your picture on the foam of a pint.
Other experiences include guided tastings, history talks, special food menus and learning beer history in a countryside-style pub, The Hidden Harp.
The brewer will host special hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday and Monday. The brewery is family-friendly.
Ireland at The Wharf
Sat., noon to 6 p.m., Southwest D.C., free entry
🔗 Details
Find some good craic at The Wharf’s free festival with Irish music, dancing, sports and drinks.
The 19th Street Band, Poehemia and Ben-David Warner Band will play Celtic and Irish-tinted tunes that everyone can dance and sing along to, while the whole family can enjoy traditional music, dance performances and learning how to play Celtic football.
Sports fans should stop by the Transit Pier to watch rugby, including Six Nations, on the big screen.
You’ll find drinks at two beer gardens, or at The Wharf’s bars and restaurants (including the always-Irish Kirwan’s!). Here’s a map, and see the full schedule here.
The festival is free to attend, but you can book a VIP experience with a whiskey tasting, swag bag and access to the best views of the stage and the river. Tickets cost $45.
Irish Masters of the DC Area
Fri. and Sat., 8 p.m., The Barns at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia, $40
🔗 Details
Students from the Culkin School of Irish Dance will perform as “some of the best Irish musicians around” perform live.
Shamrocks and Shade Drag Brunch
Sun., 2-4 p.m., Hank's Oyster Bar Dupont Circle in D.C., $20
🔗 Details
Dixie Crystal and her fabulous friends will serve all the fierce, green looks you can handle. Brunch food and drinks will be available to order.
St. Patrick's Day Mystery Scavenger Hunt
Sat., 2-10 p.m., Dacha Navy Yard in D.C., free
🔗 Details
Dacha’s fourth annual St. Patrick's Day scavenger hunt invites your team of three to six people to solve a murder mystery set in Dublin. Players will solve puzzles and riddles and drink their way through the neighborhood with stops at Jackie, Solace and El Rey. It’s expected to take four hours.
Family-friendly St. Patrick's Day celebrations
Cupcake Wars: St. Patrick's Day
Sun., 2 p.m., Ballston Quarter in Arlington, Virginia, $75 per person
🔗 Details
Cookology Culinary School will show you how to channel the luck o’ the Irish into a sweet treat. At the end of the class, compete to see who made the most festive and tasty cupcake!
Baby Cat Brewery
Kensington, Maryland
🔗 Details
The Kensington brewery known for its live music has a weekend of fun in store.
On Saturday, the brewery is throwing a family-friendly festival with live music, Kensington Fire Department’s hands-on truck and a stein holding competition.
Children’s entertainer The Great Zucchini will appear for Sunday Funday, along with live music from River Road and The Hathway Brothers.
Best bars and pubs for St. Patrick's Day
Washington, D.C.
Boundary Stone
Fri. and Sat., 8:30-11:30 p.m., free
🔗 Details
The Bloomingdale pub will turn up the craic for St. Patrick’s Day weekend with free shows: Totoro on Friday and Gramophonic on Saturday.
Whitlow’s on U Street
Fri. to Mon.
🔗 Details
Saturday is the big day for a classic Irish celebration. Print something special on the foam of your Guinness, then enjoy a bagpiper from 3-6 p.m. before dancing to DJ DeVera, DJ Killabeats24 and Turtle Recall.
Irish-inspired fare including corned beef sandwiches, cottage pie potato skins and corned beef and cabbage croquettes will be on the food menu. Wash it down with boozy shamrock shakes and more drink specials.
St. Paddy’s Party @ metrobar
Sun., Northeast D.C., free
🔗 Details
Get your green on the day before St. Patrick’s Day with live music from Tyler Goldstein & Friends from 1-4 p.m., then the bar’s monthly Funset DJ event from 4-9 p.m.
Northern Virginia
O'Sullivan's Irish Pub
3207 Washington Blvd, Arlington, Virginia
🔗 Details
The Irish bar in Arlington offers more than 150 whiskies and live music every Friday and Saturday starting at 9:30 p.m.
Ireland’s Four Courts
2051 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, Virginia
🔗 Details
Head to the Irish staple near the Court House Metro station for a weekend of live music, food,p premiere league games, Irish dancers and more in a heated, outdoor tent.
Murphy's Grand Irish Pub
713 King St, Alexandria, Virginia
🔗 Details
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day all week with live music daily through Monday and special events including a Perfect Pint contest.
Maryland
The Irish Inn
6119 Tulane Ave, Glen Echo, Maryland
🔗 Details
On St. Patrick’s Day, head over to this Irish bar for live music, food, performances from the Culkin School of Dance and, of course, beer!
This party is cash only, but there’s an ATM on site. If you’re driving, valet parking is mandatory and costs $5. Admission costs $10 per person.
McGinty's Public House
911 Ellsworth Dr, Silver Spring, Maryland
🔗 Details
Head to Silver Spring’s sprawling Irish bar for live music Friday through Monday night starting at 8 p.m., plus classic dishes or full Irish breakfasts in the morning.
On St. Patrick’s Day, traditional Irish music starts at 4 p.m.
Irish dancers will perform at 5 p.m. Sunday and 4:30 p.m. Monday.
If you want to start celebrating really early, Irish Night happy hour happens every Wednesday from 6-9 p.m.
Caddies
4922 Cordell Ave, Bethesda, Maryland
🔗 Details
Need some good Irish craic while watching the game (including the Caps. vs. Sharks on Saturday)? St. Caddies Weekend has you covered. Drink specials run Saturday and Sunday noon to 7 p.m. and all day Monday. THey include $7.50 Jameson, $13 fish and chips and $7 Guinness.
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