With green beer flowing and whiskey pouring, St. Patrick’s Day tends to be one of the wildest nights of the year for many people as they celebrate the holiday at pubs and bars.
If you don’t want to party like a wild leprechaun but you still want to mark the holiday in a sensible way, here are 10 things you can do for St. Patrick’s Day that don’t involve gallons of cheap green beer.
1. Jump around with Flogging Molly
Pre-game it with the famously Irish musicians known for mixing punk with Irish traditional music at the band’s Shamrock N’ Roll concert at Morongo Casino on Friday, March 16.
Also on the bill is Austin-based one man band and punk country musician Scott H. Biram.
And if you want to see Flogging Molly on St. Patrick’s Day the band performs at the Hollywood Palladium Saturday, March 17.
8 p.m. Friday, March 16, Morongo Casino, Resort and Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon. $49.50-$105. 800-252-4499, www.morongocasinoresort.com
8 p.m. Saturday, March 17, Hollywood Palladium, 6215 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. $49.50-$115.50. www.hollywoodpalladium.com
2. Sip craft beer instead of green beer
Forget the shame of drinking green beer and drink craft brews at spots like Last Name Brewing in Upland which will hold a “Shameless Saturday,” party on St. Patrick’s Day.
The free event, which is open to all ages, will include live music in the parking lot, food specials and new beer releases such as the McDale Irish Red.
In downtown L.A., Angel City Brewery will be holding a St. Patrick’s Day Festival March 17 that will include food such as corned beef tacos and beer releases, including an Irish coffee stout made with bourbon barrel-aged coffee beans and aged in whiskey barrels.
There’s no cover charge for the Angel City celebration, but it is for the 21 and over crowd.
Last Name Brewing, 2120 Porterfield Way, Upland. 909-579-0032, www.lastnamebrewing.com
Angel City Brewery, 216 Alameda St. Los Angeles. 213-622-1261, www.angelcitybrewery.com
3. Laugh with a comedy gig
Turn green with laughter by checking out some comedy shows.
Stand-up comic Godfrey performs two shows at the Ontario Improv Saturday, March 17, or you can check out one of the two shows of the the Night Shift comedy showcase at The Laugh Factory in Long Beach with up-and-coming comics.
7 and 9:30 p.m. Ontario Improv, 4555 Mills Circle, Ontario. $17, 18 and older only. 909-484-5411, www.ontario.improv.com
7:30 and 9:45 p.m. The Laugh Factory, 151 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach. $17-$27. 562-495-2844, www.laughfactory.com
4. Take a cruise
Hop off the bar stool and onto a boat for a St. Patrick’s Day cruise to Catalina Island on a triple-decker red boat. The sunset cruise, organized by a company called The Xanadu Life, will include an on-board dance party, a talent show and a silent disco.
The fear of falling overboard should keep your drinking in check, too. Note that the event is BYOC, bring your own cup. There are no plastic cups or straws onboard the vessel.
4 p.m. The Xanadu Life, 1046 Queens Highway, Long Beach. $30. https://tinyurl.com/ybs4cn54
5. See this charming show
It would be pretty impossible to see Morrissey at a restaurant, especially in Whittier, unless they serve killer veggie plates.
See the next best thing at Sage Restaurant & Lounge with a show by Morrissey and Smiths tribute band These Handsome Devils along with the Mana tribute group Pergamo on St. Patrick’s Day.
7:30 p.m. Sage Restaurant & Lounge, 6511 Greenleaf Ave., Whittier. $10 in advance or $20 at the door. 562-325-0049, www.sagewhittier.com.
6. Hear some big pipin’
It wouldn’t sound like St. Patrick’s Day without the wonderfully un-soothing sounds of bagpipes.
You can hear one of the best bagpipe bands, the L.A. Scots, at Skyloft Restaurant in Laguna Beach March 17. They’ll lead a sidewalk procession at 2 p.m. to take people up to the Skyloft, where they’ll perform again at sunset.
Skyloft Restaurant, 422 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. Free before before 9 p.m. and $10 after. 949-715-1550, www.skyloftoc.com
7. Roam the Original Farmer’s Market
The Original Farmer’s Market is getting in on the celebration on March 17 with events that include live music throughout the day.
It’ll start with the folk group Celtic Camerata performing on the East Patio from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Glen the Bagpiper will be roaming the grounds all kilted up and performing from noon-3 p.m. And if you feel compelled to go the green beer route, it will be served at EB’s Beer and Wine Bar. Also be on the lookout for a pop-up bar in the East Patio.
Original Farmer’s Market, 6333 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles. 323-933-9211, www.farmersmarketla.com. No cover charge to roam around.
8. Go fishing
OC Parks will host the free annual Kid’s Fishing Derby on March 17.
The North Lake at the park will be filled with more than 1,000 pounds of trout and catfish for the derby so chances are your kids can catch something for dinner to continue the celebration at home. Fishing is free for kids 6-15.
9 a.m.- noon, Mile Square Regional Park 16801 Euclid St., Fountain Valley. Free. www.ocparks.com/events. .
9. Watch a parade
The Hermosa Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade attracts thousands every year.
It all starts at 11 a.m. March 17 at City Hall before moving down Valley Drive and Pier Avenue before ending at the corner of Hermosa Avenue and Tenth Street. It includes bagpipers, horses, floats, cars and marching bands.
11 a.m. Hermosa Beach City Hall, 1315 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach. Free. www.hbchamber.net.
10. Run it out
If you insist on partying hard, then why not warm up first with a little 5k race right by the beach?
The annual Village Runner St. Patrick’s Day 5K Run/Community Walk starts at 8 a.m. sharp March 17 and besides doing something athletic you’ll get a free St. Patrick’s Day Run T-shirt. It’s $40 for adults to register.
There’s even a kid’s run for the little leprechauns. It’s $30 to register for the kid run.
8 a.m.Village Runner, 1811 S. Catalina Ave., Redondo Beach. 310-375-2626, www.villagerunner.com