Things to Do

2013 St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations in Washington

From bar crawls to history lessons, here’s how to get your green on around town.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at these events around town. Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, but Washington isn’t letting that slow
it down. From kid-friendly parades to weeklong celebrations at Irish pubs, you’ll
have plenty of chances to see live music and drink green beer—just don’t forget you
still have to show up to work the next day.

DC


McPatty’s Week


When: March 12 through 17
Where: McFadden’s Restaurant and
Saloon (2401 Pennsylvania Ave, NW)
Details: For this weeklong celebration, McFadden’s offers green beer, spring break
giveaways, and no cover for those wearing green. On St. Patrick’s Day, the festivities
start at 8 AM with a traditional Irish breakfast and an open bar and continue with
stilt walkers, a deejay, and food specials.

The Capital Club’s Shamrock Soirée

When: March 14, 10 PM to 2 AM
Where: Capitale (1301 K St., NW; 202-962-3933)
Cost: $10 for women, $20 for men; tickets are available at the door
Details: There will be an open bar for the first hour of the event, so plan on getting
there early to beat the crowds.

National ShamrockFest 2013

When: March 16, 1 to 9 PM
Where: RFK Stadium Festival Grounds (2400 E. Capitol St., SE; 202-608-1100)
Cost: Tickets ($29.99, or $79.99 for VIP) are
available online
Details: More than 40 bands and deejays will perform on nine stages at this Irish
music festival. The lineup includes the Mahones, Sublime With Rome, and more. Oh,
and there’s plenty of food and beer, of course.

Library St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

When: March 16, 3 PM
Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (901 G St., NW; 202-727-0321)
Details: Come to this all-ages event to learn about the history of St. Patrick’s Day
through music, stories, and crafts.

DC Official St. Paddy’s Day Bar Crawl 2013

When: March 16, 11 AM to 2 AM
Where: Various bars in Dupont, Foggy Bottom, and Midtown
Cost: $10 for
bar crawl, $20 for three-day pass (includes Friday kickoff party), $30 for VIP three-day
pass (includes Friday kickoff party and Sunday breakfast); order online

Details: Choose your start location (the Front
Page

or Cafe Asia’s downtown
location
),

then make your way to as many as 13 bars to fete St. Paddy’s
Day.

St. Patrick’s Parade of Washington DC

When: March 17, noon
Where: Constitution Ave.
Cost: $15 for grandstand
ticket

Details: This year’s theme is Celebrating Service to the Stars and Stripes; the 42-year-old
parade will include more than 100 marching bands, military units, dance schools, floats,
and other groups and organizations.

Duffy’s St. Patrick’s Day

When: March 17, 11 AM to 3 AM
Where: Duffy’s Irish Pub (2106 Vermont Ave., NW; 202-265-3413)
Cost: $5 cover
Details: This Celtic pub is celebrating in style with free T-shirts, Irish music and
dancers, bagpipes, and green brew all day.

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration With FullSet

When: March 17, 7 PM
Where: National Geographic Live (1600 M St., NW; 202-857-7700)
Cost: Order tickets online,
$25

Details: The Live Ireland Music Awards recently named traditional Irish band FullSet
New Group of the Year in 2012. The six-piece band will perform songs from its debut
album,
Notes At Liberty.

St. Paddy’s PubCrawl

When: March 15 through 17
Where: Bread Brew, Capitol City Brewing Company, Penn Social, and more
Cost: $15 per day or $30 for a three-day pass; tickets
are available online
Details: This event is trying to be DC’s largest pub crawl. Things kick off Friday
with a 5 PM happy hour at Bread and Brew, where you can find $1 drafts, $2 bottled
beers, $3 wells, and $4 whiskey before 9. Saturday’s crawl begins at 11; Sunday’s
starts at noon.

MARYLAND

Kevin James and the 19th Street Band

When: March 17, 11:30 AM to close
Where: Flanagan’s Harp &
Fiddle
Cost: Cover TBA
Details: Flanagan’s will have live music from traditional Irish folk artist Kevin
James and Celtic group the 19th Street Band all day.

Gaithersburg St. Patrick’s Day Parade

When: March 16, 10 AM to noon
Where: Washingtonian Center (209 Boardwalk Place, Gaithersburg)
Details: This year’s parade will include marching bands, Irish and Celtic organizations,
floats, firetrucks, clowns, and more. Immediately following the parade, the Lakefront
Plaza hosts free family activities, including face-painting and Celtic music.

Local, Lucky & Live
When: March 17, 3:30 PM 

Where: The Fillmore Silver Spring (8656 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring; 301-960-9999) 
Cost: $10 general admission, standing room only; order online 
Details: The Fillmore Silver Spring is celebrating St. Paddy’s Day with an all-ages teen showcase, including bands Flying Mighty, Ladle Fight, Hurlebaus, and Ginger Chimes.

VIRGINIA

Fadó’s St. Patrick’s Day Events

When: March 3 through 17
Where: Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant
Details: Celebrate like every day is St. Patrick’s Day
through the first half of March
at Fadó. From charity events to rugby games, the Arlington spot
has you covered for
Irish-themed shenanigans this year. For more information, visit
Fadó’s
website
.

Brennan’s St. Patrick’s Day Week

When: March 10 through 17
Where: P. Brennan’s Irish Pub and Restaurant (2910 Columbia Pike, Arlington; 703-553-1090)
Details: From live music to an Irish whiskey tasting, P. Brennan’s is celebrating
St. Patty’s Day all week long. See the website
for more details.

Greater Manassas St. Patrick’s Day Parade

When: March 9, 11 AM
Where: Old Town Manassas
Details: This year marks the 14th annual St. Paddy’s Day parade in Manassas—expect
bagpipes, dancing, and flags. 


Samuel Beckett’s St. Patrick’s Day Week

When: March 13 through 17
Where: Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastropub (2800 S. Randolph St., Suite 100, Arlington; 703-379-0122)
Details: This Shirlington pub will host five days of live music, including Irish folk duo Danny Burns & Aine O’Doherty

Know of an event we missed? Leave details in the comments or e-mail them to ethompson@washingtonian.com.