Get Your Irish On

St. Patrick’s Day in Emporia is this Saturday and an opportunity for community-wide celebrations, from a parade to live music to charitable events.

FAMILY FUN

The day begins with the Leprechaun Dash, a 5K sponsored by the Emporia Recreation Center, starting in front of Town Royal, 4^th Avenue and Commercial Street, at 10:30 a.m. Participants are encouraged to dress up in green, four-leaf clovers, and other St. Patrick’s Day finery. Sign up in advance online now or on race day.

Shake Your Shamrocks at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade beginning at 1:00 p.m. and traversing Commercial Street from 4^th Avenue to 12^th Avenue. In addition to the usual organizations and businesses, this parade attracts families who claim Irish heritage – however slight – who ride on floats together decked out in green and gold.

Monkey Jam 2018 kicks off with The Skirts and Savanna Chestnut in concert at the Lyon County History Center, 711 Commercial St, at 7:00 p.m. Monkey Jam is a series of all-ages concerts produced through the collaboration of Kansas Free for Arts and the Lyon County History Center. The concert is free of charge with VIP tickets available for purchase. VIP package includes dinner catered by one of Emporia’s finest local restaurants, open craft beer bar (for ticket holders 21 years of age and older) and reserved seating. Tickets available at Kansas Free For Arts. This project made possible in part by the financial support of the Emporia Convention & Visitors Bureau.

FOR THE GROWN UPS

Adult merrymakers are invited to join the Downtown Emporia Bars Association for the third annual St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl and Safe Cruise from 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. Purchase a lanyard for $5 and get $1 off your first drink at each participating location: Mulready’s Pub, Charlie’s Place, Brickyard 20 Ale House, Town Royal and Radius Brewing Company.

Best Pub Crawl team will receive a $100 in Emporia Main Street gift certificates. Lanyard holders will receive a commemorative koozie and a pint glass at the final stop. Charlie’s Place Buzz Bus and Brickyard Safe Ride Bus will be running the route throughout the crawl. Must be 21 to participate!

In addition to drink specials, the pub crawl will feature live music and other special events throughout the day.

The St. Baldrick’s Head Shaving event is scheduled for immediately after the parade at Brickyard 20 Ale House, 420 Merchant St. Proceeds from this event go toward childhood cancer research. Brickyard also welcomes Ty Boss to the stage at 4:00 p.m. and DJs will keep the beat going in the Red Room and on the main stage from 8:00 p.m. to close.

Just around the corner, Town Royal, 405 Commercial St, will have a Beer Garden from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m. with drink specials and food catered by Radius. Bagpipers – a Town Royal tradition – play in the beer garden after the parade with live music from Alex Polzin featured throughout the day.

Mulready’s Pub, 717 Commercial St, hosts Saucy Lady BBQ in the beer garden and features live music by Sam Bland and the Firewatchers.

Radius Brewing Company, 610 Merchant St, will have the Radius Courtyard open and serving up beer on tap, street food and live music all day.

And at the South end of Commercial Street, Charlie’s Place, 116 Commercial St, will have food specials throughout the day. Live entertainment with Reggie Leydens begins at 10:00 p.m. No cover!

Bourbon Cowboy, 605 Commercial St, is hosting their own events throughout the day. The Bourbon Ambassadors will lead line dancing lessons and Grab-n-Go Hot Dogs will be on site to keep you fueled. At 10:00 p.m. Kansas’ premier country band, Just Passin’ Through, takes the stage.

With so many festivities to choose from, Emporia is your place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!