Spokane’s St. Paddy’s Party Turns Others Green With Envy
How much St. Patrick’s Day spirit does Spokane have?
Apparently, a lot more than its sister city Limerick, Ireland.
Limerick doesn’t even recognize the feast day with a parade.
In addition, Ireland’s capital, Dublin, produces a much smaller parade than Spokane. True story.
More than 145,000 people will converge upon downtown Spokane for Saturday’s parade. So, if you’re looking for the right spot to celebrate before and after the event, here’s a round-up of places on the parade route. A word of caution: All of these businesses will be at capacity, so plan on spending some time in line.
O’Doherty’s will kick off the festivities two hours before the parade at 10 a.m. As always, this is one of the most popular Irish joints around. Chuck Borris plays Celtic folk between noon and 4 p.m. A pipe band will be dropping by to check up on the festivities at 4:30 and 8 p.m.
Management at C.I. Shenanigan’s has been planning its St. Patrick’s Day party for several months. Saturday, the party will spill outdoors into a heated, 40-by-100-foot tent. Five DJs will be on site and the venerable Angus Scott Pipe Band will bolster the atmosphere intermittently. Shenanigan’s opens at 10 a.m.
The Ram Bighorn Brewery resides on a very strategic location. The parade lines up and ends virtually in front of its doors. Much of the festivities, which commence at 10 a.m., transpire under a heated tent. The Ram is offering beer and food specials, prizes and CD giveaways.
Gabby’s is celebrating its first St. Patrick’s Day since taking the torch from the defunct Flaherty’s. Brightening the occasion is an array of Celtic musicians, including the well-traveled Angus Scott Pipe Band. The musicians will play steadily throughout the afternoon. Gabby’s opens at 10 a.m.
Finnerty’s will keep crowds at bay with their savory corned beef and cabbage. The bar opens at 11 a.m. and will be visited during the afternoon and evening by the Kimberly Pipe Band.
The green beer will be flowing at Cyrus O’Leary’s for only $1 per glass starting at 10 a.m. Indeed, the restaurant has the usual fare of Irish food on the menu. At 10 p.m., the entire restaurant will become a lounge. At that point, patrons must be at least 21.
The Fort Spokane Brewery doesn’t need to offer anything special to bait parade-goers since the brewery sits on the starting corner of the parade route, Washington and Spokane Falls Boulevard. All this place has to do is open its door, which is what it’s doing at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Families are welcomed and there’s a full menu now that the kitchen has reopened.
The Angus Scott Pipe Band will be rolling through the downtown Onion on a couple of occasions during parade day. The Onion takes a particular pride in their Irish black and tans, draft Guiness (black) and Harp (tan) mixed in one glass.
, DataTimes