No need to go green with envy this St. Patrick’s Day. There are plenty of events and restaurant specials to suit all ages and tastes in our area. From a fun run to personalized Guinness glasses, traditional food and green beer, there’s plenty to make Irish eyes smile all month long.
Ireland’s Four Courts
March 9-17
The Courthouse pub will celebrate its first St. Paddy’s Day since reopening in September 2023. The festivities start March 9 with the Four Courts Fun Run/Walk. Registration is not required for the hourlong run, which starts at the pub at 8:30 a.m. Participants can complete any distance and enjoy free refreshments afterward. It’s a free event in partnership with the I Run, You Run group. The merriment continues all week: Feast on beef and Guinness stew, corned beef and cabbage, and shepherd’s pie during an Irish-themed pub quiz with giveaways (March 12). Then return for Irish-themed karaoke (March 13), a visit from Guinness reps who will engrave your glass and put your picture on pints of beer (March 14), “St. Practice Day” with live music (March 15), and Ireland’s game against Scotland in the Six Nations Rugby Championship (March 16). On St. Patrick’s Day proper (March 17), doors open at 8:30 a.m. with live music and dance performances. Click here for the full lineup. // 2051 Wilson Blvd, Arlington (Courthouse)
Colony Grill
March 11-17
Pizzerias don’t usually scream Ireland, but this one does. Since its 1935 founding in an Irish neighborhood in Connecticut, Colony has been honoring its roots with on-theme pies. Visit its location at the Crossing Clarendon for an annual offering of corned beef and cabbage pizza ($14.45), made with julienned cabbage tossed in the restaurant’s signature hot oil and spicy Dijon mustard. // 2800 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington (Clarendon)
Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub
March 11-17
Head to this pub at The Village at Shirlington for seven nights of festivities. Cornhole and Irish whiskey specials kick things off March 11, followed by Irish trivia March 12, Whiskey Flight Wednesday and half-off wine bottles on March 13, $5 Can Night and live music on March 14, a Guinness ripple event and live music March 15, and music and rugby-watching on March 16. Doors open at 9 a.m. March 17 for a full day of live music and Irish dance performances. Dine on brunch items like Baileys Irish Cream French toast, a lunch of lamb stew with Irish brown bread and Kerrygold Irish butter, and dinner options such as rack of lamb with Irish curry. // 2800 S. Randolph St., Arlington (Shirlington)
St. Patrick’s Irish Celebration with Seán Heely Celtic Band
March 14, 7:30 p.m.
Lace up your Irish dancing shoes and get ready to dance along with up-tempo tunes from the Seán Heely Celtic Band, led by the eponymous D.C.-based fiddling champion, harpist and singer. Tickets to the show at Jammin Java cost $20-$25. // 227 Maple Ave. E., Vienna
Ireland’s Four Provinces
March 15-17
Special menus and live music abound all weekend long at this pub in The Little City. Starting at 4 p.m. on March 15 and at 2 p.m. on March 16, the restaurant will offer a special menu featuring Irish potato croquettes, fish and chips, and corned beef and cabbage. On St. Patrick’s Day, it will serve “k’eggs”—beer and eggs— from 8-10 a.m. Then from 11 a.m.-11 p.m., the bar and patio menu will include house-made cottage pie (a casserole of diced chicken breast, peas, carrots and onions, topped with mashed potatoes) and salmon Kilkenny, with roasted red pepper sauce, mashed potatoes and veggies. In the dining room, find a three-course prix fixe menu with options such as potato and leek soup, Irish whiskey chicken Tullamore, and the Irish Delight—a dessert made exclusively for the 4P’s by Chocolate Passion Pastry. Reservations are required for dinner and recommended for lunch. // 105 W. Broad St., Falls Church
Mattie & Eddie’s Irish Bar & Restaurant
March 15-17
Chef Cathal Armstrong founded this restaurant in March 2021 as an homage to his Irish grandparents. Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day with a Guinness toast and a Bushmills Irish whiskey tasting (March 15), performances by the Boyle School of Dance (March 16 and 17), and plugged and unplugged trad sessions (March 17). (A trad session is an informal gathering of musicians playing Irish tunes.) Plus, musician Ciarán Quinn will perform each evening. While you’re there, fill up on traditional Irish beef stew, house-cured corned beef with cabbage confit or shepherd’s pie made with braised lamb shoulder. // 1301 S. Joyce St., Arlington (Westpost)
Luck of the Icing Sugar Cookie Decorating Class
March 16, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Sweeten up the holiday with some sugar cookies you frost on your own. Learn decorating tips, such as how to prepare royal icing and create colors, and techniques such as marbling, outlining, painting and brush embroidery, which results in a textured, stitching-like look. Then put what you learn to practice by gussying up your own batch of pre-baked cookies. Heartland Design and Remodeling is hosting this beginner class for participants ages 8 and up and provides all materials. Can’t make it to the class? Order a DIY kit to go. Tickets cost $78. // 6712 Old McLean Village Drive, McLean
St. Paddy’s Palooza
March 16, 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m.
You don’t need a rainbow to find a pot o’ gold at this Punch Bowl Social party. Pots of treasure will be hidden throughout the Ballston Quarter watering hole, and guests who find one could win a prize. Other activities include bowling, karaoke, cornhole, darts and board games. Plan on arriving thirsty. The gastropub will serve green beer and has partnered with Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey on drink specials, such as the Irish Goodbye Punch (whiskey, green tea-chamomile honey, citrus, pineapple and peach bitters) and Tully Slammers (whiskey and Irish cream). Although the main event happens March 16, cocktail specials will be available March 15-17. // 4238 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Ballston)
Clarendon Irish Stroll
March 16, 2-10 p.m.
Bar hop through the neighborhood bar district, where several spots will offer drink specials such as $3 domestic beers, $4 shamrock shots and $5 mixed drinks for patrons to enjoy along with music and giveaways. Participating locations include Clarendon Ballroom (3185 Wilson Blvd.), Coco B’s (2854 Wilson Blvd.) and The Renegade (3100 Clarendon Blvd.). Tickets cost $9-$20. // 2854 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Clarendon)
Get Lucky Fest at Coco B’s
March 16, 2-11:30 p.m.
The beachy vibes at this Caribbean-themed restaurant and bar will be infused with Irish inspiration, with music, giveaways and all-day drink specials. Don a green lei, grab an order of coconut shrimp or jerk chicken, and then head to the rooftop to drink and dance. // 2854 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Clarendon)
St. Paw-Trick’s Day at Quincy Hall
March 16, 3-5 p.m.
The beer hall is teaming with Lucky Dog Animal Rescue to benefit pups in need. The restaurant will donate $1 to the nonprofit for every pitcher of beer and every Tito’s Shamrock Shake it sells during the event. Furry friends are welcome to participate in the festivities on the patio. // 4001 Fairfax Drive, Arlington (Virginia Square)
St. Paddy’s Day Party at the Ballroom
March 16, 3 p.m.-2 a.m.
Green beer? Check. Special Irish drink menu? Check. Photo booth, Polaroids and selfie spots? Check, check, check. Party-goers at this Clarendon Ballroom event will also enjoy games such as corn hole, giant Jenga and water pong while listening to DJs spin tunes and watching live performers. Entry is free or pay $25 for a VIP pass, which lets you skip the line, among other perks. // 3185 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Clarendon)
St. Paddy’s Steak Dinner with Mixology
March 16, 6-8 p.m.
Ready to channel your inner Carmy Berzatto as you learn to prepare a full Irish-themed meal? If the answer is, “Yes, chef,” then head to at Cookology in Ballston Quarter, where you’ll make shamrock spinach and artichoke dip, a flat iron steak with Guinness sauce and mashed potatoes, and Irish whiskey chocolate cupcakes. You’ll also learn to mix a black velvet, a combo of dark beer and champagne. Tickets cost $125 and participants must be at least 18 years old. // 4238 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Ballston)
Caboose Commons
March 17
This Mosaic District brewery, restaurant and coffeehouse will provide an Irish stout beer special, live music from Gary Palumbo and a performance by the Falls Church-based McGrath Morgan Academy of Irish Dance. // 2918 Eskridge Road, Fairfax
Not St. Patrick’s Day
March 17, 12-8 p.m.
If you’d rather avoid the usual brand of Irish March madness at Settle Down Easy Brewing Co., where the motto for the holiday is “no crowds, no drama, no shenanigans.” It’s not a buzzkill, but rather a chill nod to the holiday with green beer and tacos from El Tio Tex-Mex Grill. For a full anti experience, opt for a bratwurst or hot dog (now available at the bar) and beer with the more typical light or dark amber hue. The rotation changes, so call ahead to find out what’s available (703-573-2011). // 2822 Fallfax Drive, Falls Church
Water Park
March 17, 12-2 p.m.
The new outdoor food hall destination in National Landing will host a family-friendly event with beer specials for the adults and face painting and balloon artists for the kiddos. A DJ spinning Irish tunes will provide a backdrop as guests stroll, eat and sip. Stopping points throughout the 1.6-acre space will have riddles for visitors to answer. Get them right to win a prize. // 1601 Crystal Park Drive, Arlington (National Landing)
The Celtic House
A new whiskey bar that opened Feb. 28 in the lower level of this decade-old Arlington tavern offers an extensive list of Irish whiskeys, plus hard-to-find bourbons and scotches. Beer (yup, Guinness), wine and the signature Army Davy Drive cocktail (Beefeater gin, lemon juice, orgeat and angostura bitters) round out the drink menu. Dining options promise modern twists on Irish classics such as fish and chips, bangers and mash, and shepherd’s pie. // 2500 Columbia Pike, Arlington (Columbia Pike)
McNamara’s Pub & Restaurant
Find Irish fare such as corned beef and cabbage and a “spice bag” (fried chicken chopped up with fries, red and green peppers, jalapeños and scallions), plus on-brand beverages like the Irish Mule, made with Jameson Irish whiskey, ginger beer and fresh lime juice. Guinness, Magners traditional Irish cider and Smithwick’s Irish Red Ale are also good for washing down your meal. // 567 23rd St. S., Arlington (National Landing)
O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
Family-owned and -operated, the 18-year-old pub offers more than 130 whiskeys for consideration, plus live music on the weekends and trivia on Wednesdays. (Check its Facebook page for more event info.) // 3207 Washington Blvd., Arlington (Clarendon)
Guinness Open Gate Brewery
Through March 24
Why keep the celebration to one day when there are weeks’ worth of fun to be had? That’s the philosophy of this Baltimore brewery, the first home of Guinness in the United States. The Irish Village opens March 7 and will be packed with beer, Irish music and dancing, and Guinness-curated food stalls, such as Lord Calvert’s Chippy and Heaney’s Grill & Mash. Other events include guided brewery tours, art nights on March 13 and 20, and trivia on March 7, 14 and 21. New to this annual event is a $40 Irish breakfast. Available on select days, it includes bacon, bangers, black pudding, baked beans and eggs, served with a pint of Guinness Draught or Baltimore Blonde. Check the website for the full schedule and pricing. // 5001 Washington Blvd., Halethorpe, Maryland