Ready to don your green in honor of St. Patrick’s Day? This year, the Irish-themed holiday falls on a Sunday, meaning you can look forward to an entire weekend of themed festivities throughout the city of Dallas.
First on the list is Dallas’ famous St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival, which will be celebrating its 40th anniversary on Saturday, March 16. This long-running event is a city tradition and draws in massive crowds, fulfilling its claim of the “Largest St. Patrick’s Parade in the Southwest.” You can expect over 100,000 people standing along the two-mile parade route down Greenville Avenue, complete with 90 parade floats and a raging block party that goes well into the evening hours. It’s not just about having fun, though. The parade also benefits a good cause: the Greenville Avenue Area Business Association’s Scholarship Fund, which has awarded more than $115,000 in scholarship money to Dallas ISD students.
If you’d like to stay active on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, consider registering for Run Project’s Dash Down Greenville 5K, another longstanding city tradition. After completing the 3.1-mile route, which features live music on the course, head to the afterparty. Finishers will receive a short-sleeve shirt, medal and free beer — plus, you’ll be close to the parade route, so you can still feel part of the big day while getting in some physical activity.
For those who want to skip the crowds on Greenville Avenue but still commemorate the holiday with friends, there are a number of bar crawls happening in other parts of the city. Downtown Dallas Inc. will be hosting a St. Patrick’s Day Downtown Bar Stroll on Sunday, March 17, taking participants to hotspots like Green Door Public House, City Tavern, One Eyed Penguin and more. Each location will include drinks special and a chance to win prizes. Uptown will also see a number of bar crawls on St. Patrick’s Day weekend organized by Crawl With Us, Bar Crawl Nation and Barcrawlerz.
Certain bars around the city will also be hosting their own one-off events. On Saturday, Shannon Brewing Company will throw a St. Patrick’s Day Celebration from 12-9 p.m. that features seasonal and one-of-a-kind beers reserved just for that day. Whoop Ass String Band will provide the live music, and there will be food for sale from vendors like Turkish Texans, Just Encased and Infuse Me Cupcakes. Noble Rey Brewing Company will also host a celebration that Sunday from 1-10 p.m., which will include craft beer, food trucks and all-day live music, including a set from the event’s headliner, alternative rapper Del the Funky Homosapien.
Lastly, if you want to avoid the party scene altogether, head to the Dallas Farmers Market on Saturday for a family-friendly event: St. Patrick’s Day at the Market. American Butchers LLC will be serving bangers and mash, while ice cream vendor Coolhaus will be selling Shamrock Shakes. You can also head to Rex’s Seafood and Market for a green beer to further commemorate the occasion. And from noon to 5 p.m, make sure to stop by the Wee Gypsy, also known as the “Best Little Photo Booth in Texas,” housed in a 1978 Volkswagen Bus. Close out your day with a live bagpipe performance at 5 p.m. Admission is free for this event.
How do you plan to spend St. Patrick’s Day this year? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
