RadioSFV Blog: Irish Pubs, Festivals, Events, and Parades to Attend on Your St. Paddy's Day

Saint Patrick’s Day is just ONE WEEK AWAY! Being that I did my last semester of college abroad in Dublin, Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day is probably my favorite holiday.

I have been pretty nervous for this holiday to come up because I spent it last year watching the parade and pub-crawling my way through Dublin. (Nothing will ever top that, just saying). BUT, since we can’t all rush over to Ireland to spend Saint Patrick’s Day in a pub decked out in green and orange, I have done my research and found some pretty exciting ways we can all spend Saint Paddy’s.

(Also, just a pointer—Patty is short for Patricia. Paddy is short for Patrick. It’s St. Paddy’s Day, not St. Patty’s Day).

1. This Saturday, March 12, is the Hermosa Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Hermosa injects a bit of Irish spirit into the coast with bagpipers, marching bands, cars decked out in green, and festive pups from the Irish Setters Club of Southern California. The parade kicks off near City Hall on Valley Drive, heads west on Pier Avenue, and ends at the corner of Hermosa and 10^th.

2. Also this Saturday is the Rock and Reilly’s Annual St. Paddy’s Day Block Party. At this annual bash, you will see green beer and pretty faces. Held in the lot behind the Sunset strip pub, you will find eight full bars and more than 100 kegs of Bud Light and Guinness. Eat some Irish nachos from some delicious food trucks AND a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Pencils of Promise Foundation. Eat, drink, be merry, and it’s all for a good cause. (I dig it).

3. If you want to stick to a beach town, head over to the Long Beach Irish Heritage Parade and Festival on Saturday March 12^th. Celebrate Long Beach’s Irish heritage during the parade and food festival! The parade steps off at 2 pm and runs down Pine Avenue from 6^th Street to Broadway with firefighter displays, marching bands, dancing groups, and more culminating at Promenade Park with a free all-ages festival!

4. Sunday March 13^th is the St. Paddy’s Day at One Colorado in Pasadena. Head over to Pasadena’s shiny shopping plaza, One Colorado, for a kid-friendly St. Paddy’s Day bash. Stop in throughout the day for kids crafts, Irish dance lessons, and a set of traditional Irish music from the Bracken Band Quartet. (If you haven’t heard Trad Music, it’ll change your life. It’s beautiful).

5. Sunday March 13^th is the St. Patrick’s Day 5K in Redondo Beach! This is a lively way to spend the Irish holiday. The 5K run/walk (8 AM) is followed by the Little Leprechaun Dash for the Gold (9:30 AM). Both races start near the intersection of Catalina and Elena avenues. All participants earn a festive T-shirt!

6. ON Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17^th, head over to the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater to watch Flogging Molly play LIVE. (They’re an Irish punk-band). This is where you’ll find me. Decked out in festive attire. Tickets are still on sale and they aren’t very expensive!

Give them a listen here:

https://youtu.be/1AOp9c5DRzc

7. If you can’t make it to this concert, Sunday March 18^th is the Shamrock and Roll and the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Climb aboard for a night of Irish music, drinks and food. Grab a pint of green beer and sample a selection of Irish grub.

And of course, here is a list of killer Irish pubs you can always spend your day in:

1. Tom Bergin’s Tavern in Central LA.

2. Molly Malone’s in Fairfax District. (this is one of my favorite songs, so I’m partial to this pub).

3. Timmy Nolan’s in Toluca Lake.

4. Ireland’s 32 in Burbank. (If you didn’t know, this is called Ireland’s 32 because there are 32 counties in Ireland. Also, the owners are wonderful).

5. The Auld Dubliner in Long Beach.

6. Jameson’s Irish Pub in Hollywood.

7. The Irish Times in Palms.

And the top Whiskey bars in LA:

1. Seven Grand in Downtown Financial District.

2. Ten Pound in Beverly Hills.

3. The Blind Donkey in Pasadena.

4. The Daily Pint in Santa Monica.