St. Patrick’s Day Events

The Irish are some of the best partiers ever, and Flagler Drive will go green Saturday and Sunday, for the 15 annual Irish Fest.

The 15th annual festival, at the Meyer Amphitheatre in downtown West Palm Beach, will host acclaimed bands direct from Ireland, plus step dancers, bagpipes, comedians, and the International Pub Tent and Dublin Pub Tent with authentic Irish food and drink.

The family-friendly festival also offers activities for kids including rides, games, arts and crafts, storytelling, clowns and an Irish Marketplace.

Entertainment Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfe Tones; the Prodigals, Celtic/Gaelic rockers; Mac Talla Mor, a band that fuses Celtic rock with bagpipes on fire; Kathy Durkin, one of Ireland’s top female singers; dancers from Tir Na Greine School of Irish Dance; and singer Noel Kingston.

The 42nd annual Delray Beach St. Patrick’s Day parade will take on special meaning this year as firefighters, especially Irish firefighters, are honored for their service.
A pre-parade party begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, in Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave. The parade begins at 2 p.m. along Atlantic Avenue and the Dublin Ireland Fire Brigade Pipe and Drum Band will march with firefighters from 13 states. The route will be decorated at five key points with fire department ladder trucks, with ladders extended tip-to-tip. The parade will march under flags hanging from the ladders.
The parade will include antique fire engines as well as modern day engines and apparatus, fire department honor guard teams, bagpipers, and uniformed marching firefighters, Dalmatian dog owners, and professional fire clowns. Civilians and parade sponsors will ride decorated floats.
A free After-The-Parade Party follows in Old School Square with food, beverages, and live entertainment until 7 p.m. (561) 279-0907. www.festivalmanagementgroup.com

Port St. Lucie’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations — 5:30-11:30 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, and noon Sunday. Join the Friendly Sons and Daughters of Ireland for the 21st Annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival and Parade, an event co-produced by the City of Port St. Lucie. Wear your green — and a smile — and join in the celebration, beginning with After 5 LIVE! from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, and live music from Fire in the Kitchen. For families there’s a midway carnival from 5:30-11:30 p.m. Friday, March 12.
On Saturday, an all-day Irish festival kicks off at 10 a.m. with a parade beginning at 11 a.m. that will travel the streets of City Center. Authentic Irish food and beer will be served with Irish music from Fire in the Kitchen and the Rowdy Micks. An Irish marketplace will offer arts and crafts, food vendors, and a variety of other booths. The carnival midway will be open from noon-11 p.m. and will stay around on Sunday beginning at noon. Admission and parking are free. Wrist bands and tickets will be sold for the carnival rides. Call (772) 878-2277.

Other Festivities
The Jove Comedy Experience presents “Luck O’ The Irish” — 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, The Atlantic Theater, 6743 West Indiantown Road, #34; Jupiter. Sketch and musical comedy by the Jove, written and produced by Addy Award winners. Improvised scenes created from audience suggestions, original musical parodies and original sketch comedy based on St. Patrick’s Day. Proceeds from ticket sales and a donation bucket will benefit Jessica Makris, a Palm Beach Gardens woman who has cystic fibrosis and is facing a double lung transplant. www.cotafor
jessicam.com. Tickets: $15. Contacts: (561) 575-4942. www.TheAtlanticTheater.com www.TheJove.net
Palm Beach Kennel Club St. Patrick’s Invitational — Noon Saturday, 1111 N. Congress Ave., West Palm Beach. Features the $50,000 Arthur J. Rooney’s St. Pat’s Invitational, live broadcast from noon to 2 p.m. by Lexxus Live from WZZR Real Radio 94.3 FM; Greyhound Pets & Puppies; Jody Pollard performing Irish music, the Tir’ na’ Greine Irish Dancers, Irish food specials. (561) 683-2222.
34th Annual Shamrock Race — 6 a.m. Sunday, John Prince Park, 4800 S. Congress Ave., Lake Worth. Palm Beach Roadrunners’ 10-mile race begins at 7:30 a.m., the start of the 5K follows at 7:45 a.m. and the Lil’ Leprechaun 100-yard dash at 9:30 a.m. Music, refreshments and good ole’ Irish fun for the whole family. Packet pick-up is also available from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, at Running Sports, 813 Donald Ross Road, Juno Beach. Advance registration is $20-$30. Race day registration is $50 for all races except the Lil’ Leprechaun, which remains at $7. (561) 313-6099. www.palmbeachroadrunners.com/shamrock.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade — 2 p.m. Sunday, Bryant Park, Lake Worth. Parade will travel west on Lake Avenue to J Street. Prizes awarded for best entries. 3 p.m. Head shaving challenge on K Street. (561) 951-4915.
Rooney’s Public House St. Paddy’s Day Party — 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Wednesday, 153 Town Center Drive, Jupiter. Start your day with an Irish breakfast featuring Rooney’s special French toast. The celebration lasts all day, with live music, Irish Tir’ na’ Greine dancers and Irish food and drink specials, souvenirs, giveaways and more. (561) 694-6610. www.rooneyspublichouse.com
St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef Eating Competition — 12:30-3 p.m. Wednesday, Downtown at the Gardens, 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Drive, Center Court, Palm Beach Gardens. TooJay’s Corned Beef Eating Competition, judged by the International Federation of Competitive Eating.Ten professional eaters compete to win a $10,000 purse. (561) 340-1600. www.downtownatthegardens.com
Rooney’s All-In St. Paddy’s Day Party — 3 p.m. Wednesday, 6901 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. Irish Tir Na Greine dancers, giveaways beer and Irish food specials, prizes. Live broadcast by WZZR 94.3 FM and the Hometeam from 3-7 p.m. (561) 833-7802. www.rooneysallin.com
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at the Bistro — 4-11:30 p.m. Wednesday, 2133 South U.S. 1, Jupiter. Tim McCaig, bagpipers, dancers from The Karl Drake School of Irish Dance and the band Irish Thunder perform. If you want authentic Irish food beyond the shepherds’ pie and corned beef and cabbage, this is the place. House specialties include Gaelic chicken and Kerry Lamb Pie. (561) 744-5054. www.thebistrojupiter.com.
Echoes of Ireland ­— 7 p.m. Wednesday, St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church, 3300 A South Seacrest Blvd., in Boynton Beach. An evening of Irish song, laughter and story-telling with Paddy Noonan . $20. (561) 732-3060.