Could it be that spring is starting to peek out from behind all those clouds? Celebrate the cusp of the new season with St. Patrick’s Day fun in Downtown Long Beach.
There is an eclectic assortment of events happening in Downtown on St. Patrick’s weekend, and a festive atmosphere will prevail, with many opportunities for live music and dancing. There will be fabulous food and drink offerings, and holiday-themed events to keep you active and entertained. Here is a small list of suggestions to help steer your St. Patrick’s Day in the right direction.
The St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl, happening on Friday, March 17 starting at 4pm, will get you and your green-clad pals admission and drink specials at more than 10 participating Downtown establishments. Your St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl kit includes drink coupons, free “welcome” shot vouchers to redeem at select venues, and a map of all participating Long Beach bars.
You’ll also get a free St. Patrick’s Day necklace when you check in, and you’ll get free admission to various Pub Crawl after-parties. Get a group together, dress in green and celebrate with hundreds of new friends! For tickets, click here.
The Feline Good Social Club at 301 Atlantic Avenue is a lounge where cool cats hang out – literally! On Saturday, March 18 from 4pm to 6pm, the club will be holding its first annual “St. Cat-Tricks Day” fundraiser, in which you can “pawty” with 30+ adoptable cats while enjoying some terrific live entertainment, including a set by the improv group HELD2gether.
Guests will receive a complimentary “Things for Your Head” seltzer with the “purrchase” of each ticket, and everyone who wears their St. Patrick’s Day green will be entered into a raffle drawing for fun Feline Good Social Club merch. For more information, please click here.
The Auld Dubliner Irish pub and restaurant at 71 S Pine Ave. is a perennial go-to for St. Patrick’s Day revelers. This pub is the very definition of authentic. The interior was actually built in Ireland and shipped to the USA!
General Manager Kristin Davis filled us in on the pub’s St. Patrick’s Day schedule: ”We’ll be pouring perfect pints of Guinness all day, 11am to 2am. We’ll have plenty of live music starting at 1pm with The Whooligans, followed by Niall Cash at 5pm, and Fingal’s Cave closing it out from 9pm to close.
“We have a full menu of traditional Irish fare, and performances from Irish dancers,” added Davis. “We will be featuring Irish whiskeys: Tullamore Dew, Lost Irish, Slane, Teeling, and Powers, with drink specials and giveaways.”
Night Dive, the super-cool ongoing club event at the Aquarium of the Pacific, will have a St. Patrick’s Day theme on March 17 from 7:30pm to 11pm. DJs will be playing throughout the building, ensuring that you can party with all the creatures of the deep. A live band will perform in front of the Honda Blue Cavern as well.
There will be an abundance of food trucks outside, and cash bars available for your St. Patrick’s Day toasts. For tickets and more information about what promises to be a unique, mysterious and very groovy evening, please click here.
The FUSE 18+ St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at Alegria Nightclub, 115 Pine Avenue, from 10pm until 2am on Thursday, March 16, gives you the chance to begin your weekend festivities early. Put on your fanciest party attire and vibe along with the finest in hip-hop, top 40, Latin, and pop, provided by premium DJs. Bottle service is available!
Only guests 21 and over are allowed to drink, of course, but guests 18 and over are welcome all evening. For more information, admission tickets and table reservations, please click here.
Shamrockin’ Mardi Gras at Shoreline Village on Saturday, March 18 from 1pm to 5pm, is a late-winter holiday two-fer! This free event will add tons of Mardi Gras flavor to the St. Patrick’s Day weekend festivities. Bring the whole family and enjoy live zydeco music, DJs, roaming entertainers, a parade, and plenty of bead throws, just like they do on Bourbon Street.
A storm advisory on the Mardi Gras event’s originally scheduled late-February date prompted organizers to reschedule, combining the two joyous holiday celebrations into one. A large and happy crowd is anticipated. Parking is expected to sell out: Guests are requested to carpool or use an alternative transportation mode.
The Leprechaun Chase 5K, 1OK, 15K and Half Marathon, Saturday morning, March 18 on Ocean Boulevard about a mile east of Downtown, is a St. Patrick’s Day Weekend must for fitness buffs, or anyone who just wants a nice fresh-air stroll while taking in some of the best ocean views around. Sign up for the race of your choice by clicking the race name above.
Get your morning exercise in, then make your way Downtown for the Shamrockin’ Mardi Gras celebration. Or, go on a voyage of discovery, finding some new favorite spots among Downtown’s plentiful dining, drinking, shopping, and sightseeing options. Whatever you decide to do, it will be more fun to do it in Downtown Long Beach!