The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The lucky ones
There’s a parade, beer fest and hockey game to fill St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
You don’t have to have to travel to Dublin or have the luck of the Irish to find a sham-rocking St. Paddy’s Day party.
Atlanta may not dye the river green like Savannah, nor do we hunt leprechauns as they do in Mobile, Alabama, but Atlanta has its fair share of St. Patrick’s Day activities.
In an effort to help you find the best St. Patrick’s Day events around town, we have compiled a list of some of our favorite events so you’ll have more time to get lucky, look for the end of the rainbow and sip on some green beer.
Irish Lights Festival
Social Mess is lighting up the city green with its new Irish Lights Festival and a concert from the duo Lost Kings at Park Tavern. Multiple areas of entertainment will be set up featuring a host of D Js spinning EDM, tropical house, deep house, progressive house and open format music. With nearly 5,000 people expected to attend, Park Tavern is likely the place to party if you’re in Midtown.
2 p.m. March 16. $20-$75. Park Tavern, 500 10th St. NE, Atlanta. 404-249-0001, asocialmess.com
Rí Rá PaddyFest 2019 & Outdoor Festival
The second annual Rí Rá PaddyFest kicks off with four days of live music, Six Nations rugby, a charity head-shaving event for St. Baldrick’s, authentic Irish fare, Guinness glass engraving and a huge outdoor festival party. The main craic kicks off at 11 a.m. on Saturday and goes until late into the night with live music rocking the streets of Crescent and Peachtree with five live bands, D Js, performances from Irish dancers, beer trucks and bars. Irish band Porterhouse is headlining the festival and will be flying in from Ireland to play in the pub Thursday through Sunday.
11 a.m.-10 p.m. March 16. $15. 1080 Peachtree St. NE #1, Atlanta. 404-477-1700, rira.com/atlanta
Atlanta St. Patrick’s Parade
Atlanta’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, one of the country’s oldest, was started by the city’s Hibernian Benevolent Society and features representatives from various Irish groups (Hibernian Benevolent Society, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Clan na Gael, Firefighter’s Emerald Society of Metro Atlanta, the Irish Information Center and the Metro Atlanta Police Emerald Society) that are staples in Atlanta’s Irish community. The parade, which attracts nearly 80,000 spectators, includes clowns, floats, bands, Bagpipe & Drum Corps, children, dancers, drill teams and an attitude that “everybody is Irish.”
Noon-2 p.m. March 16. Free. 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 770-805-8015, atlantastpats.com
UZoo at MadLife Stage and Studios
UZoo, a tribute to the iconic Irish rock band U2, will perform at the award-winning live concert venue in historic downtown Woodstock March 16-17. The “Unforgettable U2 Tribute Band” performs all the legendary U2 hits including “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “Pride (In the Name of Love),” “New Years Day,” “Beautiful Day” and “California.”
10 p.m. on March 16 and 7 p.m. on March 17. $20-$25. 8722 Main St., Woodstock. 770-463-1110, madlifestageandstudios.com
St. Patrick’s Day Live!
Enjoy Irish food, drink specials, Irish cocktails and green beer at The Battery Atlanta’s dining and entertainment district, Live! at the Battery. The night kicks off with a bagpiper followed by three different bands. Attendees can even “hunt” for the end of the rainbow, where they may find gold donated by Cumberland Diamond Exchange. You can also donate to St. Baldrick’s Foundation in preparation for the second annual “Rock the Bald ATL” event at Sports & Social on March 23 to support the fight against childhood cancer.
5-11 p.m. March 16. $10-$25. 825 Battery Ave. SE #600, Atlanta. 404-965-2511. liveatthebatteryatlanta.com
Suwanee American Craft Beer Fest
The annual event that serves up unlimited samples of more than 300 American craft beers will host more than 100 national breweries along with an exclusive Georgia Beer Garden featuring more than 30 Georgia breweries. The winner of the annual Georgia Brew Battle, in which festival-goers receive a token upon entry they can use to cast a vote for their favorite
local beer, will be crowned best Georgia beer and win the coveted Golden Cup trophy. In addition to all the brews, the festivities include a bagpipe player, Irish dancer and revelers decked out in all things green. There will also be live entertainment, food trucks, games, local vendors and a VIP experience.
Noon-5 p.m. March 16. $55-$60. 330 Town Center Ave., Suwanee. 678-482-2270. suwaneebeerfest.com
Atlanta Gladiators
The professional minor league ice hockey team, Atlanta Gladiators, are holding a St. Patrick’s Day celebration as the team hosts the Norfolk Admirals at 3:05 p.m. on March 17 in Duluth. With green beer, St. Patrick’s Day-themed activities and a good chance of seeing a fist fight on the ice, the Gladiators game is the move if you need to scratch your sports itch.
3:05 p.m., $17-$33. Infinite Energy Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. 770-497-5100, atlantagladiators.com