Saint Patrick’s Day: Fun at Home or Around Town

In 2021 Saint Patrick’s Day falls on a Wednesday. This year, while we still have Covid concerns, we won’t be caught off guard. As with all things during this exceptional year, we’ve forged new traditions and foregone others.

Twin Cities St. Patrick’s Day Parades

• March 17, 2021: An Irish MASK-arade: A St. Patrick’s Day Drive-Thru Celebration | 425 Rice Street | 12-3 pm | FREE, but Registration Required by 2/24/21 | Mask up for a drive through version of the annual parade. Annual favorites, including Miss Shamrock, Mr. Pat, Irish dancers and bagpipers will be along the route. A virtual option will be broadcast on Facebook.

• March 20, 2021: Minneapolis’ Saint Patrick’s Day Parade | Murzyn Hall parking lot, 530 Mill St NE, Columbia Heights | 1pm-3pm | FREE | Decorate your vehicle and drive through the parking lot as the Irish Royalty, Irish dancers, and bag pipers stand and wave at drive-by cars. If you would like to participate in the car decorating contest, fill out an entry form online.

---

Saint Patrick’s Day Celebrations around the Twin Cities

Landmark Center

The Landmark Center traditionally hosts two Irish celebrations each year.  As of February 17th, details have not been announced, but updates are promised.

• March 14, 2021: Day of Irish Dance | Virtual event. More information TBA.
• March 17, 2021: Saint Patrick’s Day Irish Celebration | Virtual Event, featuring three sets of performances. Each set will include Irish music, Irish dance and Irish theatre.
  • 8:30 a.m.
  • 12:30 p.m.
  • 5:30 p.m.

Mall of America – Virtual Toddler Tuesday

• March 16, 2021: Log in via the MOA’s Facebook page to join dancers and instructors from Rince na Chroi Irish Dancers. Watch a virtual performance and demonstration of Irish dancing and then try it yourself.
• March 11-15, 2021: Families can stop by the TOYS Store during mall hours to pick up a FREE Fun Pack (while supplies last) to enhance the experience on March 16th. 

Saint Paul Farmers Market – St. Patrick’s Day Stew Demo

• March 13, 2021 @ 10:30-11:00am: A Farm on Wheels Grass Fed Meats representative will demonstrate how to make a healthy St. Patrick’s Day-inspired stew using bone stock and veggies. Learn more.

ArtStart – Going Green Goes Irish! Color Kit

• Buy Anytime: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with an ArtStart Creativity Kit that includes shamrocks, gold and green sparkly peel and stick and a wee bit of Irish charm. Perfect for decorating or creating your own imaginative art work! $35/kit; pick up or have shipped for an additional $8.

Plymouth Patty’s Day Pets Contest

• March 1-15, 2021: Plymouth residents can enter their pet’s photo in the Patty’s Day Pets contest. Submissions are due no later than Monday, March 15th.  Dress your family pet in green for St. Patrick’s Day and snap a photo. Prizes will be awarded for the best dressed pets.

---

Saint Patrick’s Day Fun at Home

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. I don’t know about you, but I love this “holiday.” It’s a fun one for me because there are no expectations. If we forget it, it’s okay–nobody is worse for the wear. If we celebrate it, EVERYONE in the family has fun.

 

• Lucky Rainbow Chain for St. Patrick’s Day from Crafty Morning
• Clover Sun Catcher from Pink Stripey Socks
• Shamrock Shake Copycat Recipe from Dinner & Dessert – One suggestion I would make for the shake is start with 1/8 tsp of peppermint extract and then add to taste!

• Read and Listen to Mike Mulligan & His Steam Shovel -Get 15% off from Maestro Classics this month (plus a bonus St. Patty’s day craft).  Grab the book from Bookshop.org.

---

St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt.

 

Why wait for Easter for a good hunt? Hide gold coins for the kids to find around the house, leaving scavenger hunt clues from a lucky leprechaun. Gianna has suggestions for a DIY Scavenger Hunt here.

---

 

Past events we are watching:

We hope to see some of these other annual events come back for 2021. We’ll watch them and let you know.

World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade | TBA | Hopkins, Mainstreet | 2-4 pm | FREE | This parade is open to anyone and is only 4 blocks long.

Irish Heritage Weekend | The James J Hill House in St Paul is still temporarily closed. We do not expect to see the usual events in 2021.

St. Patrick’s Celebration | Keg & Case in St. Paul currently is not offering events.

FREE Rides from MetroTransit – Although MetroTransit traditionally offers free rides on St. Patrick’s Day, they are still operating under Covid restrictions and ask the public to only ride the bus for necessary travel.

---

*This post contains affiliate links to Amazon & Maestro Classics. Family Fun Twin Cities receives a small commission on sales through our site. It also includes an affiliate link to Bookshop.org, an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. Family Fun Twin Cities receives a small commission on books ordered through our link. If you want to find a specific local bookstore to support, find them on this map and they’ll receive the full profit off your order. Otherwise, your order will contribute to an earnings pool that will be evenly distributed among independent bookstores (even those that don’t use Bookshop). Learn more here.