DOWNTOWN — It's been said that if Saint Patrick wore green and drank too much by noon, then Americans do a great job honoring his legacy every year.
Saturday marks the 60th time Chicagoans will dye the river and parade Downtown, but plenty of green drinks are being poured already. Here are our best ideas for celebrating St. Patrick's Day:
This jig is far from up.
Siamsa na nGael: Old St. Patrick's Church will once again present its hard-to-spell Celtic celebration of song and dance. "Ceilidh – The Coming Together," starring NBC5 Anchor Anthony Ponce, will explore the Irish, Scots and African influences on Appalachian music. The show kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Chicago Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. Click here for more info.
It's for the kids: Avanse, a local charity dedicated to bettering the lives of children in the Caribbean and Latin America, will host a happy hour from 6-9 p.m. March 17 at Pearl Tavern, 180 N. Upper Wacker Drive. The menu? Oysters and green beer. Tickets are $15 and include two drink tickets. Buy here.
Get ShamROCKED: The Hard Rock Cafe Chicago, 63 W. Ontario St., will once again host its "Get ShamRocked" fundraiser for Misericordia. Enjoy Irish Car Bombs, green beer and Irish Reuben sandwiches beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday. Meanwhile, kids can get a balloon animal or their face painted in a nearby heated tent.
Eat beef on a boat: Cruise the Chicago River after it is dyed green Saturday with Shoreline Sightseeing. Tickets are $49, including an "Irish buffet" with corned beef and cabbage. The cruises are available at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Same fruit, new sandwich: Not native to the Emerald Isle, but green, are avocados. Chicago sandwich chain Potbelly will add avocado to its menu beginning March 17. Add the guacamole parent to your sandwich for $1 extra.
Drink cerveza: Cantina Laredo, 508 N. State St., will open early at 11 a.m. Saturday, with a DJ spinning "Irish tunes and Latin beats" all day. Enjoy $3 Dos Equis Lager or one of the bar's signature margaritas (which are more expensive).
Flickr.com/Ms. Phoenix
More cerveza: Not to be outdone, Cactus Bar and Grill, 404 S. Wells St., will open at 10 a.m. Saturday, with specials including $4 pints of Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro, $7 Jameson shots and $9 Irish car bombs.
Rooftop bottle service: Party like Thin Lizzy or U2 at theWit Hotel's rooftop bar. Doors open at noon Saturday at theWit, 201 N. State St., which will serve $12 "baby" Irish Car Bombs and a $100 "Irish Bottle Service" package including Guinness and Jameson. A $75 "Irish Mist" pitcher full of Jameson, Drambuie, honey syrup, lemon juice and bitters will also be available at the rooftop bar overlooking the river.
Sake-it-to-me, Pat: Hot Woks Cool Sushi is serving a Green Sake Bomb from March 14-17. For $8.95, buyers can keep their beer and shot glasses, in addition to the aftertaste.
Domo arigato, Saint Patrick: RA Sushi, 1139 N. State St., also has plenty of deals on March 14 and 17, including $1 Green Hot Sake shots, $4 Jameson shots, $6 Kuronama Car Bombs, and a $14 "Emerald Punch Bowl."
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