St. Patrick’s Day in Northern Michigan

Ahh St. Patrick’s Day is almost here, and that means a day filled with shenanigans and malarkey. St. Patrick’s Day is a special day where all of us are Irish and the green beer is flowing freely. In northern Michigan it means springtime is right around the corner, and that in and of itself is a reason to celebrate. Our family always enjoyed the holiday which also signaled the start of March Madness. And, as Michigan State fans, we never had to dig too deeply in our closets to find something green to wear each year on March 17.

There is no wrong way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the United States, although for most it involves great food and lots of beer. Whether you are heading to the bar, or staying home to watch the basketball games, make sure you are wearing green, and make sure you are enjoying yourself.   

For this year’s St. Patrick’s Day fun, I have compiled a list of four interesting facts about the holiday to impress your friends and coworkers:

1. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade in the United States (and in the entire world) was in 1737 in Boston, Massachusetts. In fact, it was not until 1903 that Ireland had their first parade to celebrate the holiday. 
2. The city of Chicago dumps 50 pounds of green dye into the Chicago River every St. Patrick’s Day. This is a tradition that started in 1962.
3. Approximately 4.2 billion pints of beer are consumed each year on St. Patrick’s Day including 13 million pints of Guinness. 
4. The first green beer was concocted in 1914 by Dr. Thomas Curtin in New York. He was throwing an extravagant St. Patrick’s Day party, and he added a drop of wash blue (which was an iron powder solution used for removing stains in laundry) into the glasses of beer he was serving to his guests. Today you can find green beer on tap around the country on St. Patrick’s Day. 

Although here in Petoskey we do not dye the Bear River green (yet), there are a few events in and around the Petoskey area to note if you want to get out and celebrate the holiday. 

• Boyne Mountain is celebrating 75 years of shenanigans with a party through the decades. The party will take place all weekend long with dancing and photo booths and delicious food, and so much more. Check out their website for all the details.  
• On Saturday, March 16 at Crooked Tree Arts Center, Blackthorn will be performing traditional Irish music. You can purchase tickets by clicking here. 
• Side Door Saloon is serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Sunday, March 17 with special features like corned beef hash, Reuben quesadillas, and of course, corned beef and cabbage.
• City Park Grill is bringing back their Irish-centric cuisine pop-up restaurant March 15-17. You can enjoy foods like Irish boxty potato cakes, bangers and mash, and fish and chips. 
• Moose Jaw Junction in Pellston is hosting a Luck of the Irish Green Beer Party on March 17 with entertainment by Tracy Eby. They will also have corned beef and cabbage on special that night.
• On March 15 and 16 Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts is having two days of their popular puzzling parties, with a St. Patrick’s Day theme. Celebrate the holiday with your friends, and get in on the fun while you put together puzzles as a team and compete for prizes. Click here to find out more and to sign up. 

No matter how you decide to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year, have a plan, have fun, and be safe.