Houston is a long way from Ireland, but the Bayou City still likes to turn up and get down for St. Patrick's Day.
Green beer, Irish whiskey and corned beef and cabbage will be prevalent across the Houston area on Friday. And because it's springtime in Houston, so will crawfish.
There are several holiday-themed events at local bars and restaurants, and in some cases the celebration will continue until Saturday or later. And while many St. Patrick's Day events tailor more to adults, there also are some family-friendly activities.
Here's a rundown of many of the ways Houstonians can commemorate St. Patrick's Day in 2023.
HOUSTON ST. PATRICK'S DAY EVENTS
FRIDAY, MARCH 17
Lucky's St. Patrick's Day Festival 2023
Lucky's Pub is hosting an all-day St. Patrick's Day party downtown in conjunction with Bud Light and 94.5 The Buzz, which will be broadcasting on site at 1800 Texas Ave. Three city blocks across from Minute Maid Park will be blocked off for the 21-and-up outdoor event, which will feature live music, DJs, food from local restaurants and, of course, green beer. Tickets for the event cost between $10-$60 and are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/st-patricks-day-festival-2023-tickets-544936889907. The party starts at 10 a.m. and lasts until 2 a.m. There is no charge for general admission until noon.
St. Patrick's Day at Saint Arnold Brewing Company
There is free admission to an all-day event hosted by Houston's oldest craft brewery, which is turning its beer garden and restaurant into a green-themed, holiday celebration site. Starting at 2 p.m., there will be drums and bagpipe playing by Pipe Fooligan, pub songs and covers by Jared Gibb, Irish dancing with Clann Keeley and more Irish music by Das 1st Slainte. Saint Arnold also is holding its annual Donegal Beard Growing Competition at 7 p.m. There also will be a special release of the brewery's Irish Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels, which was brewed in 2018 and bottled in 2020. Visit https://www.saintarnold.com/st-patricks-day/ for more information.
Trinity Irish Dance Company at Miller Outdoor Theatre
Miller Outdoor Theatre, located in Hermann Park, is kicking off its 2023 season with a free St. Patrick's Day performance by the renowned Trinity Irish Dance Company. Tickets are available beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday and can be secured online at https://www.milleroutdoortheatre.com/performance/trinity-irish-dance-company/. The show starts at 8 p.m. and is scheduled to last two hours. It also will be livestreamed online.
St. Patrick's Day Party at Bobcat Teddy's Ice House
Crawfish, tacos and Irish stew will be among the offerings at Bobcat Teddy's, which is partying from 10 a.m.-2 a.m. at 2803 White Oak Dr. Guinness will be on tap along with a lineup of bands, DJs, Irish dancers and bagpipers. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/6081996081868335/ for more information.
St. Paddy's Day at Truck Yard Houston
There is no cover charge for this celebration in EaDo, which starts at 11 a.m. and lasts until 2 a.m. There will be live music, Irish drinks and Irish food from local food trucks at Truck Yard, 2118 Lamar St. Visit the event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/916236869690453/ for more information.
Watson's House of Ales
Bagpipers, green beer and corned beef and cabbage will be featured at Watson's House of Ales, which will be open from 11 a.m.-2 a.m. at 14656 Grisby Rd. There is no cover charge for the event, which has a live music lineup featuring JB Barnett, Dead Stereo and the Spicolis. More details are at https://www.watsonshouseofales.com/.
St. Patty's Day Throwdown
The Shiloh Club, 1321 Studewood St., is hosting a patio party starting at noon. Crawfish will be sold for $12 for a two-pound box, and there also will be beer, drink and shot specials along with a dunk tank and other patio games. DJ Cam will provide entertainment. Find more information at https://www.facebook.com/events/2810545509079927/.
Lil Nate Live at Bar 5015
There will be live zydeco music at this free event from 7 p.m-2 a.m. at Bar 5015, located at 5015 Almeda Rd. A related day party starts at 2 p.m. Five pounds of crawfish will be sold for $25. More details are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lil-nate-live-at-5015-friday-march-17th-stpatricks-day-tickets-568216329337.
All Saints Block Party on Washington Avenue
Tickets start at $27.50 for an all-day block party at 5317 Washington Ave., in the parking lot between Todos Santos and Kung Fu Saloon. There will be food, games, vendors and DJs. The event is scheduled for 2 p.m.-2 a.m. and is for ages 21 and up. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at https://events.eventnoire.com/e/allsaintsblockparty.
Saint Patrick's Day Done Right
Seven live music acts are scheduled to perform starting at 3 p.m. at McGonigel's Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk St. Among them are Piper Jones, Ed Miller and Earl Grey. Also on tap are holiday-themed food and drink specials. Tickets start at $30 for the event and must be purchased in advance at https://www.mcgonigels.com/shows/st-patricks-day-celebration-2023-reserved-seating-inside/.
FRIDAY, MARCH 17 AND SATURDAY, MARCH 18
St. Patrick's Day & Shamrock Stroll Pub Crawls
Pubcrawls.com is organizing two holiday-themed pub crawls in Houston, one starting at 5 p.m. Friday and the other at noon Saturday. Tickets start at $9.99 for each event, which will include at least four bars apiece in the Midtown area and feature food and drink specials along the way. Participants must be at least 21 years old and can check in at either The Dogwood, 2403 Bagby St., or Leitner's, 2300 Louisiana St. More details are at https://pubcrawls.com/city/houston-tx/.
St. Paddy's Pub Party
SpindleTap Brewery, 10622 Hirsch Rd., is hosting a two-day celebration starting at 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The craft brewery will have crawfish as well as food from Kennedy's Pie Pub, Clark's Jerky and Texzas Wood-Fired Pizza & BBQ. There also will be games and, of course, locally brewed beer. Visit https://spindletap.com/events/ for more information.
Lucky's St. Patrick's Day Bar Crawl
Not to be confused with the outdoor festival hosted by Lucky's Pub, this bar crawl in Midtown will happen from 4 p.m.-midnight on Friday and Saturday, starting both days at Front Porch Pub, 217 Gray St. Six other bars are included in the crawl, with specials throughout. Tickets start at $25 for individuals for $20 apiece for groups of four or more. An after-party is planned from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. at Playground, 2415 Main St. Find more information at https://www.crawlwith.us/houston/stpattys.
SATURDAY, MARCH 18
St. Patrick's Day Meetup Run Houston
If beer and whiskey drinking is not for you, or you want to burn some calories a day after celebrating, there are a series of holiday-themed runs planned for Saturday morning at Buffalo Bayou Park. There is a 5K, 10K and half marathon, with waves starting at 7:30 a.m. The cost ranges from $39-$45. More information is available at https://runsignup.com/Race/TX/Houston/StPatricksDayMeetupRunHOUSTON.