Whether you feel like dancing or sipping stout, here's how to keep things Irish this March
St. Patrick’s Day is back, and with two years of pent-up, Irish-loving energy ready to boil over, it promises to be a celebration for the ages. Get into the thick of things at annual St. Patrick’s Day parades, block parties and pub crawls, where dressing in green isn’t so much a way to avoid the dreaded pinch as it is a way to come together with fellow revelers. But the Irish activities don’t end when the holiday does. Even after all the leprechauns have returned home, there are still plenty of ways to keep the spirit of Éire alive all year round. From traditional live music to step dancing classes, here are 15 ways to celebrate all things Irish in 2022.
San Francisco’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade returns for its 170th season on March 12. The merry procession kicks off at 11:30am at 2nd Street and Market, rolling, step dancing, and fiddling its way towards the Civic Center. The parade is one of the city’s biggest of the year, drawing over 100,000 people, so arrive early and post up near the starting line for the best view.
Deck yourself out in green and head to Polk Street for the raucous, liquor-fueled LepraCon. The infamous pub crawl stumbles among 20 different bars, each with its own drink specials, DJs, and festivities. Check-in at Mayes Oyster House for a wristband and map, then choose your own adventure on a route that includes McTeagues, Lush Lounge, R Bar, and the Wreck Room. The events take place over two nights, starting at 6pm on Thursday March 17 and at 2pm on Saturday March 19.
As the parade comes to a close, The Irish Bank’s St. Paddy’s Day Block Party heats up in the Financial District. Now in its 16th year, the event, a blur of joyful exuberance and free-flowing Guinness, takes place not once but twice during the holiday week, on March 12 and on March 17. Doors open at 11am and the festivities begin at 1pm both days.
This annual Outer Richmond block party hosted by the United Irish Cultural Center is a full day of family fun complete with live music and dancing, food and drink, and kid-friendly activities. At 4pm, Irish rebel band Sean Daly & The Shams takes the stage with their fiery, energetic sound. The indoor-outdoor event begins at 11am on March 13.
Sweat through St. Paddy’s Day with the brutal, semi-competitive Massacre bike ride benefitting San Francisco nonprofits. Anyone can join the trek, which begins at Saints Peter and Paul Church in North Beach and ends in Marin, but only the strongest of the strong will have what it takes to earn the title of “most hawks,” the number of times they ride up and down the 1.5 mile long, 600-ft elevation Hawk Hill in the three hour time limit (the current records to beat are nine climbs for women, 13 climbs for men).
The New York Times calls Grammy award-winning Irish fiddler Eileen Ivers “the Jimi Hendrix of the violin,” and with good reason: The musician’s sensational style, which blends traditional Celtic music with modern compositions, is electrifying. Catch her at the United Cultural Irish Center on March 11 at 7pm.
Come out for the cutest St. Paddy’s Day Parade in the city. The annual Patrick’s Pawade draws hundreds of pooches in Irish-inspired costume to the appropriately named Patrick’s Park at Fort Mason. RSVP to enter your doggo in the day’s silliness or post up on a picnic blanket to watch from the sidelines. Date and time to be announced soon!
Witty storytelling and clever comedy with Irish soul takes the mic at the Punch Line’s Real Irish Comedy Fest on March 16. The night’s lineup features three comedians—Sean Finnerty, Martin Angolo and Dave Nihill—each of whom hail from the Emerald Isle.
The historic Buena Vista Cafe wasn’t the first bar in the world to serve Irish coffee—that honor goes to the island, itself—but it was the first in the U.S. to get it right. Since perfecting the recipe in 1952, the restaurant has earned legendary status for its frothy, bitter interpretation, serving as many as 2,000 Irish coffees a day (it also holds the Guinness World Record for the largest Irish Coffee).
Two nights of hard-drinking, hard-playing Kiss Me, I’m Irish bar crawls hit North Beach on March 12 and March 17. The event launches from the Northstar Cafe, then wends its way through the neighborhood’s half dozen pubs and dives. Get your tickets in advance online to join the green-garbed, Guinness-guzzling crowds.
Although the spotlight shines on Guinness and other Irish stouts each St. Patrick’s Day, San Francisco’s chilly, foggy climate is tailor-made for the roasted, malty brew year-round. While you may find stouts on tap at a number of local bars, only a few can be considered artisans of the pour. Order up a perfect pint at Johnny Foley’s Irish House in Union Square, Casements in the Mission, or Durty Nelly’s in the Inner Sunset.
Since the mid-19th century, San Francisco has drawn a significant Irish population to its shores. Among their many contributions to the city was a unique gastronomic smorgasbord that included dishes like corned beef and cabbage, sausage rolls, Dublin coddle (stewed sausage, bacon, and potatoes), and Irish soda bread. A handful of restaurant-pubs—The Napper Tandy’s in the Outer Mission, Sweet Passion Bakery in Parkside, and The Irish Times in the Financial District—continue the tradition, serving up a taste of the Emerald Isle every day of the year.
Riverdance made it famous in the ‘90s but Irish step, a traditional dance in which the upper body remains stiff while the feet kick, jump and flicker in a flurry of movement, has been around since at least the 17th century. At the J. Flynn Irish Dance Academy, you can learn to master its mesmerizing choreography. The studio offers classes for youth and adults both online and in-person ($10-18/class). No experience necessary.
The United Irish Cultural Center is the heart of all things Irish in San Francisco. Not only does it have a massive library of Irish books, but it offers Gaelic language, genealogy and other classes on subjects relevant to the isle. It’s the institution’s events though, which are among its biggest draws. Throughout the year you’ll find unique gems like storytelling and photography exhibitions, as well as All-Ireland football and hurling finals played on a 16-foot screen with a side of Irish breakfast.
The Plough and the Stars isn’t just a quintessential pub complete with friendly faces and a liquid cure for whatever ails you, it’s the San Francisco home of traditional Irish music. Bands featuring Celtic instruments, crooning brogues, and buoyant melodies play most nights, Wednesday through Sunday (there’s a cover charge Friday and Saturday nights). When the stage falls silent, the collection of Irish artists on the jukebox makes a suitable substitute.
