Round-Up: St. Patrick’s Day FREE weekend events

Just one of the many events going on Downtown

St. Patrick’s Day may not be Christmas or Halloween, but it comes at a good time in the year. After a couple of months of winter and darkness, and everyone in town is ready to cut loose and have a fun time for the weekend. St. Patrick’s Day offers the perfect excuse to do just that, and Downtown is the center of the party. We have information on goings-on for all three days this weekend, including today. So, here are some suggestions to celebrate St. Patrick’s in style:

Friday, March 15

• The Hoosier Lottery will be kicking off the St. Patrick’s Day Parade at 11:30 a.m. The parade is FREE to the public, and you’ll be able to see musicians, floats, dancers, and more.
• The Parade Festival (lasting from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., is taking place on Vermont Street (between Meridian and Pennsylvania streets.
• The Rathskeller is kicking off the St. Patrick’s Day Tri-Fecta with live music from 1:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. You can go there after the parade to continue the party.
• The Indiana State Museum is kicking off the Going Green Festival from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This event hopes to teach visitors how best to conserve energy and why recycling is important.
• The Indiana Pacers battle the Las Angeles Lakers at 7:00 p.m. at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse. If you don’t have tickets, you can still enjoy the beer tents on Georgia Street from 3:00 p.m. until the game starts.

Saturday, March 16

• The Blarney Bash takes place on Georgia Street. The event runs from noon to midnight and features live music from My Yellow Rickshaw and Flatbed Twitch. You can click the link for more details, but attendees 21 and older can enjoy green beer and enjoy food from the nearby restaurants.
• The 22nd Annual Shamrock Run/Walk begins at 10:00 a.m. on Monument Circle. The route leads through Fountain Square for four miles before returning to finish at the Circle again. Follow the link to sign up if you wish to participate.
• The Rathskeller continues the St. Patrick’s Day Tri-Fecta with live music from 6:00 p.m. to midnight.
• The Indiana Ice stare down the Chicago Steel in a cold night at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse starting at 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 17:

• The Rathskeller finishes its St. Patrick’s Day Tri-Fecta with the 16th Annual Indianapolis Downtown Irish Fest. You can enjoy FREE admission and authentic Irish Food.
• The beer tents on Georgia Street will re-open from noon to 6:00 p.m.

Whether you attend some, all, or none of these downtown events, we wish you a fun and festive St. Patrick’s Day. May you be as lucky as a four-leaf clover this weekend.