Kiss me … *hic* … I’m Irish

OK, so, technically, I’m not Irish. But my paternal roots are set firmly in Butte, Montana, and therefore I am entitled to a lifelong honorary membership in the Erin Go Braugh Club.

St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Butte are legendary. Partying starts before breakfast and pretty much doesn’t stop until everybody passes out. Revelers spill out of the bars and take over the streets. Mothers lock up their children and the police put in serious overtime.

I left Butte when I was just 6, and so my experience with these debaucherous goings-on is purely second-hand. My little brother and I “summered” with our dad, in Butte. Dad had a restaurant that that was attached to a bar, and although it will kill my mother to find this out, we used to climb up on tavern barstools and listen to the locals recount shining moments of Irish glory. Trust me, if there’s one thing Butte people know how to do, it’s how to get shalalee’d. If there’s another thing they know how to do, it’s how to party with such aplomb that their stories are still worth telling months later.

For years I’ve been wanting to get back to Butte to experience one of these monumental Leprechaun festivals first-hand. But before I do, I need to get in a little practice. It would be a black mark on the family name if I couldn’t keep up with the natives.

I’ve heard that a certain faction of the Spokane population could give the Montana folks a run for their money. And so, my friends, I share with you a list of local places to prime the pump. Because on St. Patrick’s Day everyone’s Irish. But only the strong survive. You’ll notice that unless St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday, it’s one of those holidays worthy of multiple observances. Pace yourselves.

If you know of other places around town that do St. Patrick’s Day up right, let us all know!

PARADES
The 32nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade hits the streets of downtown Spokane on Saturday, March 13 . The fun starts at noon .
This parade is open to total community involvement, and they accept entrants until the morning of the event, so you never know what to expect. But one thing is certain … It’s always lively and it’s always a blast.
Put on by non-profit group The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick , the parade honors all things Irish while raising donations for local charitable organizations. Volunteers will be collecting canned food along the parade route, so bring a bag of groceries and support Second Harvest Inland Northwest. They’ll also accept cash donations, so if you can spare a little of your Green Beer money, do it!

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Downtown Coeur d’Alene gets the green on at 4, when the 5th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade rolls through.

PARTIES
C.I. Shenanigan’s celebrates in a big way with specials that stretch from Parade Day (Saturday, March 13) through St. Pat’s Day. You’ll find them at the east edge of Riverfront Park, on the river.

Click here to get a full lineup of their party specials … Lamb Stew, Corned Beef & Cabbage, Green Beer, Irish Whiskeys and so much more.

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O’Doherty’s Irish Pub is everybody’s favorite watering hole on St. Patrick’s Day … It’s conveniently located on the parade route so get there early if you want a seat! They make it easy … Doors open at 9 on Saturday.

On Wednesday, the official St. Patrick’s Day, doors open at 10. There’ll be live Irish music all day, plenty of green beer, plus great food and drink specials, too! Do yourself a favor and don’t leave without trying a Butte Pastie … O’Ds does ‘em almost as well as my grandma!

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MarQuee Lounge will be a hot spot Wednesday night.

From 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. drink specials and DJ MC Squared will help you get your jig on.