Get Your Drank On: St. Patrick’s Day 2013 – LA

Amateur Night… That’s what some St. Pat’s Day snobs may call this holy drinking day. But we here at The Happy Hour Tour are mighty fair lasses and we think everyone deserves the chance to get LUCKY – whether it’s finding your pot of gold at the end of the RAINBOW (or at the bottom of your green beer), or getting pinched by a grinch for not wearing green (hopefully said grinch is like a super-hot sugar-honey-baby just flirting with you), or shoot, if you’re in a bad way and decide to test your luck (and liquor tolerance) by mixing vodka with your Lucky Charms. We can’t recommend the latter in good conscience, sorry. 

What we can recommend is several fun ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Los Angeles and Chicago! Today we’ll focus on LA, Chicago is to come! Here’s our top’o’the marnin’ Southland picks for ya: 

Ed. Note (that’d be us :) -- If you’re not running the LA Marathon, or cheering on someone in the LA Marathon, you may want to avoid the route – check here for street closures. 

 

•  But of course the 213 Bar Group has us covered at all their Downtown LA locations – including Casey’s 41st Annual St. Patrick’s Day Street Festival at 613 S. Grand (entrance at Wilshire and Hope). Casey’s opens at 6am and the event is free before 1pm, and $8 after thereafter (or $20 for VIP Fast Pass, ya big shot leprechaun!). Word on the street is Casey’s will be going cash only for the day, so don’t forget your green! 

•  Another DTLA activity – St. Patrick’s Day at LA Live featuring free activities from 11am-6pm including:
  o An arena-rock tribute band; the Budweiser Clydesdales (the activities are sponsored by Bud Light);

  o Clippers pre & post-game festivities (12:30 game) and Lakers pre-game (6:30pm) 

  o Harley Davidson ride to LA Live (we hope Jax Teller rides in and then rides off into the sunset with us!);

  o The LAPD Emerald Drum Society & Bagpipe Band and LAFD Historic Vehicles 

  o Irish music, dance, and food! 

• On the West side, Wilshire Restaurant is hosting their inaugural St. Paddy O’Party with Irish bites and drink specials on their pretty patio from 11am-2am. Their suggested $10 donation benefits the Westside Food Bank. Drink and do good, we like that! RSVP for guaranteed entry to www.paddyoparty.eventbrite.com. 

•  Dillon’s Irish Pub in Hollywood opens bright & early at 6am and will feature bag pipers, a bangers eating contest (sounds deadly!!), green beer, a photo booth and what’s promised as … Green swag! The Hollywood scene can get a little mischievous to say the least, so be prepared for some crazy Irish shenanigans!

•  The traditionally Scottish Tam O’Shanter in Los Feliz will go green for St. Pat’s, featuring Irish treats all day including Irish dishes, music, dancing, bagpipes and more (we’re guessing more is Guinness, Jameson, and green beer!). This will all go down in three different spaces: the dining room (opens at 10am, reservation required), the Ale & Sandwich Bar (no reso needed), and the party tent with live music (tent opens at noon & music starts at 1pm, no cover charge). 

•  LA.com has a fun idea for an Irish Pub Crawl with stops at Tom Bergin’s Tavern, Molly Malone’s, St. Nick’s Pub, and O’Brien’s Pub. Love the stops, but remember to bring a designated driver with ya! Well, really – that goes for any of the above options!! 

•  Discover LA has further info on some of the above and plenty of other ideas as well (Pogues cover band anyone?!!) here.

Just remember to drink responsibly and/or have a designated driver or take public transportation. Don't be an amateur. Be a wise drunk leprechaun.