The luck o’ the Irish is with you if you’re spending St. Patrick’s Day in Grand Rapids  – because we’ve got all sorts of wonderful ways to celebrate with friends and family. The Irish were among the first immigrants to this area, coming here in the early 19th century to help dig canals along the Grand River, so Irish heritage is Grand Rapids heritage. Get your green on and join in the fun!

Street Celebrations

The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Grand Rapids kicks off at 11am in front of the Grand Rapids Public Library on March 16 – and ends with a closing ceremony near Calder Plaza. Bring the whole family!

Michigan’s largest St. Patrick’s Day Street Party – Irish on Ionia – fills downtown GR’s Ionia Avenue with live music, dance and street performances, high-energy DJs, food trucks, Irish beer and spirits, and more. From 10am-10pm March 16.

Everybody’s Irish is a family-friendly street party in Wayland – about 20 minutes south of downtown GR – featuring local food and specialty drinks, food trucks, live music and a scavenger hunt. March 16 from 2pm-9pm.

Pubs & Breweries

Green beer may not be on the menu at every local craft brewery – but you’re sure to find lots of Irish-themed selections and specials throughout the long weekend. Or perhaps you prefer to celebrate the season with an Irish – or at least green – cocktail?

You can enjoy Irish food, beer and music all year long at local Irish pubs, but these two really pull out all the stops for St. Patrick’s Day weekend:

  • Flanagan's Irish Pub serves a special breakfast on Saturday and Sunday (9am-noon the 16th & 17th), plus live music March 15th (5pm-1am), 16th (noon-8pm) and 17th (11am-5:30pm).
  • Quinn & Tuite’s Irish Pub offers a day full of live Irish music on the 16th and 17th, along with its collection of Guinness pours, Irish cider and 90+ Irish whiskeys.

Brass Ring Brewing is hosting 10 days of St. Patrick's Day – order from a special food menu filled with authentic Irish delights from March 7 through March 17.

Cedar Springs Brewing Company starts celebrating St. Patrick’s day early with a March 14 evening concert of Irish and Celtic tunes from Toby Bresnahan. Come back to Cedar Springs March 17 from noon-2pm to raise a glass of dry Irish stout while you enjoy the music of traditional Irish band Selkie.

St. Patrick’s Eve at 3 Gatos Brewery includes Irish food specials, green beer and live music from singer/songwriter on March 16.

ShamROCK on Remembrance is Lost Art's first ever St. Patrick's Day Celebration! This two day (Friday & Saturday) celebration includes authentic Irish food, green beer, craft Irish stout, drink & food specials, raffle giveaways and a social media photo tagging contest. 

Head to Rockford on March 15 for live Irish music plus great beer and food: Third Nature Brewing Company hosts Trillium Irish Band from 6:30-8:30 pm and Rockford Brewing Company brings traditional Irish band Selkie to its taproom from 7:30pm-10:30pm.

Lucky’s St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl includes at least eight local bars, food & drink specials and a crazy after party. March 16.

Küsterer Brauhaus is the check-in point for both the Shamrock Stroll Bar Crawl (March 16) and the Grand Rapids Official St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl (March 17).

Küsterer Brauhaus also hosts Irish folksinger Toby Bresnahan from 4pm-6pm March 17, as part of its regular Sunday-afternoon series, "World Music on the #WestSide with WYCE.”

Ed Dunneback & Girls Farm Market has whipped up some special libations for the holiday, including a Fuzzy Leprechaun white wine float, non-alcoholic Leprechaun Float and Farm House Shamrock Shake made with Thin Mint cookies. They’re available all March long.

St. Patrick’s Day at The Holiday Bar is a two-day (Saturday & Sunday) celebration with live bands, a DJ, green beer, Irish whiskey, Irish fare and some cool swag.

Entertainment, Irish & Otherwise

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures,” goes an old Irish proverb. Grand Rapids comedy venues can help you with the first part this holiday:

Country superstars Dan + Shay bring their Heartbreak on the Map Tour to Van Andel Arena March 14. Both Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney have Irish in their genes!

Opera is Lit at CityFlatsHotel explores the relationship between ancient Greek stories and the modern world of opera, courtesy of local musicologist Camellia Adams and Opera Grand Rapids artists. March 14.

Master Arts Theatre presents Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park, a romantic comedy about a newlywed couple. 14-16 & 21-23.

Traditional Irish folk band Ten Penny Bit will entertain you while you shop for St. Patrick’s day fixings at Horrocks Market on March 15 from 6pm-9pm.

The Pyramid Scheme hosts a St. Patrick’s Day Celebration featuring a host of local musicians on March 15.

The Grand Rapids Symphony presents Celtic Landscapes with fiddle virtuoso Eileen Ivers, celebrating the music of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. At DeVos Performance Hall March 15 & 16.

Head to EVE at The B.O.B. to dance an Irish jig – or any other move – to today’s hottest hits spun by DJ Greg Knott (March 15) and DJ Kane (March 16).

Cheer on the city’s pro sports teams at Van Andel Arena:

Amaze & Amuse is a modern day magic show that features comedy, mind blowing magic and lots of audience participation. At Wealthy Theatre March 16.

Spend St. Patrick’s Day weekend learning, tasting, shopping and getting pampered at the West Michigan Women’s Expo, March 15-17 at DeVos Place.

For Families

Why should adults have all the fun on St. Patrick’s Day? Grand Rapids has all sorts of ways to have fun as a family this weekend:

See how many green butterflies you can spot at the Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies are Blooming exhibit at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

Check in on the teenaged children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar and Cruella De Vil via Disney’s Descendants: The Musical at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre. March 1-17.

Head to the newly updated Jaycee Park in Kentwood for a Shamrock Hunt. Look for 12 hidden shamrocks from March 13-23 and enter to win a fun prize.

Watch a beloved fairy tale come to life on stage as the Grand Rapids Junior Ballet Company presents Snow White, March 16-17.

Lace up for St. Patty’s Open Skate at Patterson Ice Center – it’s half off if you wear green! March 17.

Explore Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit inspired by Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum.

Enjoy hands-on activities for all ages at Brick by Brick: The Creative Art of LEGO®, presented at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.

Help your 2-8 year-old kids “construct” a home – paint walls, tend gardens, fix leaky pipes and more – at the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Building Buddies!

Get Out & Celebrate

Ancient Celtic communities in Ireland viewed the shamrock as symbolic of the regenerative powers of nature – so getting out into nature as winter turns to spring is another great way to celebrate this shamrock-fueled holiday.

Celebrate on Friday, recover with a run on Saturday – it’s the 40th year of the Irish Jig 5K, one of Michigan’s premier 5K road races.

Hike and bike on 60+ paved and natural trails throughout the area, and keep an eye out signs of spring rebirth.

The spring steelhead run in downtown’s Grand River begins around this time – hauling in one of these feisty, chrome-colored fish would make for a memorable holiday!

Depending on the weather, you might be able to hit the greens at some local golf courses – or maybe we’ll get more opportunities to ski, sled and snowboard. Keep an eye on the weather!

A Taste o’ the Green

Rockford’s Thought Design Learning Studio offers a St. Patrick’s Day Cooking Class featuring hands-on instruction on preparing corned beef and cabbage, Guinness stew, corned beef and cabbage, and Irish bangers. March 16.

Spruced Studio presents Suds & Salami! St. Patrick’s Day Charcuterie Workshop on March 16 –  all the meats, cheeses, chocolates, and other goodies to build your 10” x 12” take home charcuterie board are included.

Check out all these St. Paddy's Day events: