15+ Bay Area St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

Did someone say buds, brews and bagpipes? St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, so get ready to celebrate all the best that Ireland has to offer, right from the comfort of the Bay. From parades and festivals to the beloved beer crawl, here are all the local ways you can celebrate the luckiest holiday of the year.

San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 11, Market Street, San Francisco. Every year, the United Irish Societies of San Francisco host a large Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, which begins at Second and Market streets and heads down Market all the way to Civic Center Plaza near San Francisco City Hall. The parade includes an array of colorful floats, Irish dance troupes and marching bands, as well as featured groups from throughout the Bay Area’s Irish community including schools, youth organizations, labor unions, cultural groups, plus the San Francisco Police and Fire Departments. Free admission. uissf.org/events/

Benicia St. Patrick’s Day Beer Crawl: 1 to 5 p.m. March 11, various Downtown Benicia venues. The Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, let out your Irish cheer and sample craft beers inside participating businesses. Grab your friends and check in at 90 First St. before heading to a few local favorites. $30. bit.ly/BeniciaSPD

Santa Rosa St. Patrick’s Day 5K Celebration: 12 p.m. March 12, 69 Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa. Presented by Fleet Feet with proceeds benefiting Santa Rosa Recreation & Parks, the St. Patrick’s Day 5K is an annual themed run/walk race open to all ages and abilities. The race is chip-timed and participants receive a commemorative medal. Stick around after the race for the post-run celebration complete with a beer or root beer, judged costume contest and music. Free admission. bit.ly/SantaRosaSPD

Lions Of The North St. Patrick’s Day Concert: 2 p.m. March 16, El Campanil Theatre, 602 W. Second St., Antioch. Grab your lass (or laddie) and join the high-energy, Sacramento-based Lions of the North as they blaze forth with a pre-St. Patrick’s Day celebration for all, complete with classic Irish songs performed on guitar, accordion, fiddle and bodhran (Irish drum). $15-$32. bit.ly/LionsSPD

Healdsburg St. Patrick’s Day Festival: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 17, Healdsburg Plaza, 112 Matheson St., Healdsburg. Wear festive green attire and join the Healdsburg community for a fun march down Healdsburg Avenue starting at 7 a.m. at Sanderson Ford (453 Healdsburg Ave.), all the way around Healdsburg Plaza and back again. After the parade, grab a chair and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Plaza Park with an afternoon of traditional Celtic music and Irish step dancing. Free admission. bit.ly/HealdsburgSPD

San Jose Shamrock Stroll Bar Crawl: 4 p.m. March 17, various San Jose venues. Are you ready for San Jose’s largest official St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl? Grab your luckiest group of friends, search for the golden taps throughout the city and turn the streets of San Jose into the end of the rainbow. $11 admission. SJShamrockStroll

St. Patrick’s Day Block Party: 3 to 10 p.m. March 17, Schroeder’s Restaurant, 240 Front St., San Francisco. Schroeder’s, San Francisco’s historic Bavarian beer hall is honoring the Irish holiday in conjunction with their friends at Royal Exchange by closing down Front Street for a St. Paddy’s Block Party. Schroeder’s will be offering specials on green beer, jello shots and great food, while DJ Jerry Ross entertains revelers with throwback hits well into the evening. Free admission; food and drinks available for purchase. bit.ly/SPDBlockParty

UICC St. Patrick’s Day Celebration: 12 to 10 p.m. March 17, 2700 45th Ave., San Francisco. If there’s one place in San Francisco to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day right, it’s the United Irish Cultural Center. This annual celebration will feature live Irish bands, three bars with Guinness, Harp, Magners and 805 on tap, five local schools of Irish dancing, plus an authentic taste of culture with a hot corned beef and cabbage dinner. Free admission; food and drinks available for purchase. bit.ly/UICCSPD

St. Patrick’s Day on the Roof: 3 to 10 p.m. March 17, Hotel VIA, 138 King St., San Francisco. Come up to the rooftop for live music and entertainment from Celtic Scandal, bagpipe performances and Irish dancers. Traditional Irish dishes and drink specials round out the party. $20. bit.ly/SPDontheroof

St. Patrick’s Day Paint ‘n’ Sip: 6 to 8 p.m. March 17, Paint-N-Sip With P Studio, 4318 Martin Luther King Junior Way, Oakland. Bust out your creative charms and choose from five different Irish-themed painting projects. Two hours of painting time and materials are included. $40, with drinks available for purchase. bit.ly/SPDpaintnsip

Downtown Los Altos St. Paddy’s Beer Stroll: 6 to 9 p.m. March 17, various Downtown Los Altos venues. Stroll the picturesque downtown while sampling some of the area’s best craft beers and enjoying live music. Admission ($40-$50) includes a wristband granting access to tastings and a free collectible glass. bit.ly/LosAltosSPD

Colm Ó Riain’s St. Patrick’s Day Extravaganza: 8 p.m. March 17, Great Star Theater, 636 Jackson St., San Francisco. Irish virtuoso violinist and composer Colm Ó Riain and his ensemble will celebrate St.Patrick’s Day with a soulful exploration of the connection between Ireland and a host of other musical cultures, from West African to Middle Eastern, flamenco and jazz, all topped by fiery Irish fiddling for a sparkling, modern take on this most Irish of days. $25-$60. bit.ly/GreatStarSPD

St. Patrick’s Day ABBA Glitter Disco: 9 p.m. March 17, The Great Northern, 119 Utah St., San Francisco. The Ultimate ABBA Glitter Disco goes green for Saint Patrick’s Day with a massive emerald disco dance party filled with glitter, glitz, glamour and tons of ABBA. Live out all of your “Mamma Mia” dreams with a huge disco party tribute, spinning everything from ABBA to the Bee Gees to the Village People and Queen. $15-$25. bit.ly/SPDDisco

LepraCon SF St. Patrick’s Day Beer Crawl: March 17-18, various San Francisco venues. The biggest St. Paddy’s Day pub crawl in San Francisco draws thousands of green-garbed crawlers. Enjoy great beer, cocktail and shot specials at more than 20 participating bars all the way from Polk Gulch to The Marina. Don’t feel like walking the whole time? Hop on the LepraCon Party Bus! $15-$35. lepraconsf.com/

Downtown Pleasanton’s St. Patrick’s Day Brew Crawl: 5 to 8 p.m. March 18, various Pleasanton venues. Downtown Pleasanton is turning green for the 10th annual St. Patrick’s Day Brew Crawl, which features more than 20 craft beers and ciders from local breweries, tasty bites, live Celtic Music, Irish dancers, photo booths and other entertainment stops. $50. bit.ly/PleasantonSPD

Dublin St. Patrick’s Day Celebration: March 18-19, Dublin Civic Center, 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin. This annual celebration features all sorts of live entertainment from Celtic rock and bagpipes to Irish folk music and dancing, an international food court with an extended menu offering authentic Irish foods and beverages, an Irish marketplace with more than 250 booths from local vendors, an Irish Tea Cottage, a Firefighter’s pancake breakfast, plus carnival rides and, of course, a parade. Free admission. bit.ly/DublinSPD