20 St. Patrick’s Day Events around Boston
By: Ashley Barquin - Monday, Mar 13, 2017 - 3:15pm
John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, South Boston, 1958.
Boston’s greenest (and drunkest) day of the year is almost here, and not even a blizzard could stop us from celebrating. From bar crawls to beer releases to Irish music and theatre — and yeah, that parade in Southie — here’s 20 events to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day around Boston.
* Celtic punk-rockers Dropkick Murphys bring their annual St. Patrick’s Week tour to Boston with shows Wednesday through Friday at the House of Blues and Saturday afternoon at Agganis Arena. Saturday night’s after party back at the House of Blues features a pro boxing with top Irish and local talent, because it’s not St. Paddy’s until someone gets punched in the face. 3.15 to 3.18. Times/prices vary
* Escape the crowds and duck into The Rockwell in Davis Square to see the popular one-man Irish play ‘Jimmy Titanic’ from Tir na Theatre. Colin Hamell portrays more than 20 characters from God to Gabriel in Bernard McMullan’s darkly funny play. Make a night of it with a special package including a traditional corned beef dinner and a pint of Guinness at sister restaurant Saloon. 3.15 to 3.19. Various times. $25/$40 with dinner
* Sam Adams throws After Hours events every third Thursday of the month, and this week’s St. Patrick’s Day Kickoff features a taste of the JP brewery’s seasonal spring beers, corned beef hand pies from the Roving Lunchbox food truck, and a special limited release of their barrel-aged Black Harbor Stout. 3.16. 5:30p. $10
* The Lansdowne Pub’s four-day St. Patrick’s Week celebration features live music and Irish folk dance performances, authentic Irish cuisine and a huge beer selection at the Fenway bar. Friday’s all-day show kicks off at 2 p.m. leading up to two sets by party band Bearfight. 3.16 to 3.19. Times vary. FREE
* Don’t let beer be the only thing you taste this St. Paddy’s weekend – the Boston Center for Adult Education is bringing Ireland to Boston with its Tasting Journey of Ireland class. Go beyond corned beef and cabbage with dishes including mussels in Irish Cider, Irish roasted salmon, chocolate stout cupcakes and more. 3.16. 6p. $55
* You can tell a real Irish pub by the presence of real Irish people (like, from Ireland) and the absence of McSomething or O’Whatever in the bar’s name. The Burren in Davis Square makes the cut, with owners Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello joining Robert Elliott, Seamus Noonan and special guests for its traditional St. Patrick’s Day Variety Show of music, storytelling, and dancing. 3.17. 1p. $25
* Just like St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, in 1776 George Washington and his cannons drove the British occupiers out of our city. Downtown Crossing beer lovers’ haven Stoddard’s celebrate with its seventh annual Evacuation Day Party, featuring two floors of music and food, 20 craft beer lines, cask ales and more than 100 craft cans & bottles. 3.17. 11a. FREE
* Somerville’s Aeronaut Brewing Company transforms into “Aer O’Naut” for its two-day For the Love of Ireland celebration and fundraiser for the Irish International Immigrant Center. Programming includes free Irish music, poetry, theater and dancing, plus the release of the brewery’s 1916 Irish Stout. 3.17 + 3.18. 7:30p + 1p. FREE
* The Annual St. Paddy’s Celebration at Doyle’s in JP kicks off at 9 a.m., promising live “kickass Irish music with a Boston accent” by The Fenian Sons, plus performances by the Boston Police Gaelic Column of Pipes and Drums. 3.17. 9a. FREE
* If your idea of a good time is bar hopping around Faneuil Hall with hundreds of people wearing green “Drunk Lives Matter” T-shirts, check out St. Paddy’s Pub Crawls on both Friday and Saturday. The party starts at noon with tickets getting you entry and drink specials at more than ten bars. 3.17 + 3.18. Noon. $5-15
* For a more culturally enriching and family-friendly day in Faneuil Hall, check out the marketplace’s official St. Patrick’s Celebration Friday featuring a full day of Irish musical performances and step dancing. 3.17. 10a. FREE
* What’s scarier: A killer leprechaun, or the streets of Boston filled with drunks dressed in green? You decide after watching a midnight screening of ‘Leprechaun’ at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. 3.17. Midnight. $12
* If you’re looking for a typical St. Paddy’s Day party in Boston, Dorchester Brewing Company has you covered with Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration beer releases, food trucks, and live music from the Ivy Leaf. 3.18. 11:30a. FREE
* Saturday’s Boston Blarney Blowout block party gets started at 10 a.m. with four North Station-area bars – Greatest Bar, Hurricane O’Reilly’s, North Star, and Causeway – teaming up. 3.18. 10a. $10-20
* If you’re looking for authentic Irish musical performances in a classy setting, head to Harvard’s Sanders Theatre for A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn at Sanders Theatre. Brian O’ Donovan hosts a special live edition of the WGBH Celtic music program. Your chances of coming across green beer and sloppy drunks: slim. 3.18. 3p + 7:30p. $35-45
* It shouldn’t take peer pressure for you to jump on the Pier Pressure Party Cruise aboard the Spirit of Boston. The yacht party on the harbor features four decks of dance floors, DJs and drinks. Don’t forget to wear green — you can’t get on without it. 3.18. 10p. $25
* Another classy option: Irish Music Night at Medford’s Chevalier Theatre features performances by Matt and Shannon Heaton, Laura Cortese and Fódhla. 3.18. 8p. $25
* There should be a race to see who can get out of Southie the fastest Sunday before the neighborhood gets flooded with St. Paddy’s Day tourists. There’s not, but there is a South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Road Race where hundreds of people gather in Southie for a morning 5K run that benefits the South Boston Boy & Girls Club. 3.19. 11a. $25
* This is the big one: Sunday’s South Boston St Patrick’s Day Parade makes its way from the Broadway T stop to Andrew Square, filling the streets with marching bands, bagpipers & fiddlers, Irish music, floats, and a sea of green-clad intoxicated individuals. 3.19. 1p. FREE
* Film lovers looking to tune into even more Irish culture should head check out Irish Film Festival Boston next weekend at Somerville Theatre. Many of the screenings feature in-person appearances with actors and directors. 3.23 to 3.26. Times/prices vary