Do you wear green on St. Patrick’s Day? If not, you’re probably going to get pinched! My maiden name is O’Leary, and you can bet your bottom dollar that this Irish girl enjoys and knows all things special to this holiday. You can also bet that drinking a beer in an Irish Pub while listening to live music and chatting with a friendly stranger is something that comes naturally to me. Having a good time while drinking a cold beer is in my blood.
My love for being an Irish girl even meant so much to me that I tattooed a Celtic four leaf clover on my right foot {sorry again, mom} so that I would always remember who I am and where I came from.
Now let me share with you a little bit more of this special holiday and how you can celebrate with your family and friends around Houston.
Memories
Knowing how to have fun with strangers goes back a few generations in the O’Leary family. My dad said that every year on St. Patrick’s Day, my Grandpa O’Leary would dress in all green, including socks and underwear {laughing out loud}, to celebrate the holiday. He would always take the day after St. Patty’s Day off work because he knew he was going to have way too much fun {my kind of guy}. He would go out with his brothers and sisters to many of the local pubs in the St. Louis area where they drank, ate corned beef and cabbage, and sang Irish songs. He was known for telling jokes- some clean and some not so clean. Ah, we sure do miss you, Grandpa.
I remember the first time this holiday came around when my husband and I first started dating and he mentioned to me that he had never eaten corned beef and cabbage before. The fact that he had never eaten it before threw me for a loop-de-loop. What?!?! How can this possibly be? Can I even date you anymore {just kidding….maybe}? Eating corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day is something I’ve been doing since 1985. But, that’s the fun part of dating someone new. You get to share with each other new traditions and fun things that make you who you are.
Traditions
Thankfully, eating corned beef and cabbage has become a favorite for my husband and he even included his famous line of “where has this been all my life” when he ate it for the first time. Carrying on this tradition of making corned beef and cabbage is something I still do to this day, even when I was 35 weeks pregnant with my son {now that’s true dedication}.
My sister-in-law shared with me a new recipe last year that I tried, and it is a twist on the classic Reuben sandwich using those delicious Hawaiian buns. I’m convinced you could slap just about anything on those buns and it would taste amazing, but this recipe is definitely worth your time! I highly recommend making your own corned beef in the crock pot first, but corned beef slices from the deli will suffice if you’re short on time.
[yumprint-recipe id=’12’]If making your own corned beef recipe is NOT your thing, no worries, I’ve got you covered. There’s ALL kinds of events and places around Houston for you to indulge in your favorite St. Patrick’s Day traditions.
St. Patty’s Events Around Town
St. Patrick’s Day Festival 2019 at Lucky’s Pub {Downtown}
Sunday, March 17
9:00am-2:00am
Several streets will be closing around the area and you can expect over 100,000 sq ft of party space, lots of green beer, live music, delicious food trucks, leprechauns and bagpipers, oh my! Check their Facebook page for more information and ticket purchases.
St. Patrick’s Parking Lot Party at Lucky’s West {Katy}.
Saturday and Sunday, March 16 & 17
10:00am-2:00am.
Includes live music, green beer on tap, crawfish by the pound, drink specials and DJ host all day. No cover on Saturday and $10 cover on Sunday.
Houston’s 60th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Saturday, March 16
12:00 pm
This is a free, family friendly event and includes a two hour parade that has historically been one of the largest in the US. Parade route TBD.
Two Day St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck {Kirby & 59}
Saturday and Sunday March 16 & 17
11:00am – 2:00 am
Family friendly options during the day for the wee ones {4+} which includes a tea party with faeries, lucky duck arcade, games and fun. Celebrations for the adults includes traditional Irish music and Irish Dancers, Irish food {their famous Shepherd’s Pie, Fish and Chips and Beef Guinness Corned Beef and fun! Check out their website for ticket purchases or their Facebook page.
“Let’s Get Sham Rocked” at Baker Street Pub & Grill {Katy, Woodlands & Sugarland locations}
Sunday, March 17
11:00 am-2:00 am
Enjoy live music, green beer, food and lots of fun. No cover charge.
St. Patrick’s Day Festival at Levy Park {Upper Kirby/Greenway Plaza area}
Sunday, March 17
1:00-7:00 pm
Admission is FREE. Family friendly event featuring a leprechaun scavenger hunt for the kids, family photo booth, beer and wine concessions, food trucks and live music.
3rd Annual St. Patrick’s Pub Crawl {Washington Ave/Downtown Houston}
Saturday, March 16
3:00-9:00 pm
Includes a free shirt, koozie, cup, wristband and $3 drinks, $3 shots and $3 beers. Entry to 17 bars in Houston.
It also wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day without leaving you with one of the most famous and well-known Irish verses, The Irish Blessing ::
May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face; And rains fall soft upon your fields, And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His Hand.