Related:
St. Patrick’s Day Guide
The Cupcake Cup
Happy Hour Finder
Great Dates

Thursday, March 11: Middle Distance Runner brings its catchy, shimmering Brit-rock-style pop to the stage at Iota Club & Café—it’ll be the perfect concert to kick off spring. 9 PM; $12.

Some of Washington’s best restaurants are taking part in the annual Dining Out for Life fundraising event. All you need to bring is a big heart and an empty stomach. Get more details on Dining Out for Life here.

Celebrate the end of this long winter with cherry-blossom-inspired dishes and cocktails at the Eat, Drink, and Be Cherry Pink Tie Party at the W Hotel (515 15th St., NW). Twenty local chefs are participating, and chef/restaurateur Charlie Palmer is the host. There’s also live music and a silent auction. The party, $150 per person, begins at 6:30. For more information, call 202-661-7567.

The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage hosts the band Low Anthem. The folk/blues trio behind the album Oh My God, Charlie Darwin—who hail from Providence, Rhode Island—take the stage at 6.

Friday, March 12: Want to celebrate St. Paddy’s a bit early? Don’t mind starting to drink, at, oh, Friday at 8 AM? Then head to DC101’s annual Kegs and Eggs party at the 9:30 Club. Carbon Leaf and Jet are playing, and celebrator of all hard partying Andrew W. K. is hosting. Admission is free but first come, first served. Doors open at 7:15 AM, so have your coffee at the ready.

The Silver Spring location of McGinty’s has a pre-St. Patrick’s Day outdoor festival starting Friday at 5, with Irish food and drinks. The entertainment includes music from Trad Routes, performances by the Culking School of Irish Dance, and a matchmaking contest. More details can be found on the McGinty’s Web site.

Now in its 50th year, the Washington Home & Garden Show, which runs through Sunday, features hundreds of displays, exhibits, and demonstrations on everything from home theaters to themed outdoor parties. Experts are on hand to answer questions on virtually any indoor or outdoor space, and vendors from around the world showcase landscape designs and the latest gadgets. The event is at the Washington Convention Center. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for ages six to 12; kids under six are free. For more information, go here or call 703-823-7960.

Saturday, March 13: Put on your very best green outfit for Shamrock Fest. The annual St. Patrick’s Day event, held at RFK Stadium, features dozens of bands and DJs, ten entertainment stages, carnival rides, games, cultural performances, craft and food vendors, beer trucks, and more. Go here to purchase tickets, which start at $19.99 a person. (See our full guide to St. Patrick’s Day parties here.)

What’s not to love about the Black Cat’s Second Saturday series? The music venue kicks out the DJs and starts kicking out the jams. For the Black Cat, this means hosting excellent local bands for a night of rock music. Tonight onstage: Midnight Kids and Casper Bangs. $8, 8 PM.

How can we resist an event whose tagline is “Like the Discovery Channel, with beer”? That’s why we’re headed to Nerd Nite at DC9. The event mixes presentations about, well, nerdy stuff with beer and live music—tonight Poor But Sexy plays between presentations. Talks include “On the Fly: The Scariest, Cutest, Most Well Known and Least Understood Thing on Two Wings” and another on “brains and sex.” 6 PM. Get tickets ($10) here.