It’s that day again when people talk in exaggerated brogues and toast the luck o’ the Irish with Guinness or green beer. Nary a bar in town isn’t celebrating with a party and live music or a silent disco or a Celtic band. So jig on over and lift a glass wherever you may wander.
But if you’re looking for something that doesn’t necessarily include imbibing, there are some interesting options to consider. Here are five we found:
1. WDVX Big Plate Special: Kick off the festivities with WDVX’s Big Plate Special at Barley’s at noon. (Green beer optional.) Four Leaf Peat, Tennessee’s premier traditional Irish band, performs everything from soulful Irish ballads to toe-tapping dance tunes. The performance is free.
2. Knoxville’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade: The leprechauns will be out in force for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade through downtown. Comedian Leanne Morgan will serve as grand marshal. The route runs from Howard Baker Jr. Ave. to Church to Gay to West Magnolia. It kicks off at 7 pm.
3. Grown Folk Skate: If you’d rather celebrate on roller skates, the Change Center on Harriet Tubman Street is the place to be. It hosts the St. Patrick’s Day Grown Folk Skate from 7 to 10 pm. Entry is $10.
4. Knoxville Ice Bears: Maybe you’d prefer an ice rink to a roller rink. Come celebrate St. Hat Tricks Night when the Ice Bears take on the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs at the Civic Coliseum at 7:30 pm. Tickets range from $8 to $41.
5. Paddy’s Day with Four Leaf Peat: If you missed the Irish Band at the Big Plate Special earlier in the day, you have another chance to catch a performance at the Laurel Theater at 8 pm. Tickets are $15.