Let's Go Green! A Guide to St. Patrick's Day Parties in Sarasota

Fetch your four leaf clovers and your favorite green apparel because March 17 - St. Patrick’s Day - is rapidly approaching and it’s time to get planning. There are a handful of big Irish celebrations happening throughout Sarasota County, and one is sure to be in your backyard. From green beer, to corned beef and cabbage, to live Irish music, we’ve done the research so that you can hit the town and celebrate all things Irish.

The Block That Roxx!

St. Patrick's Day – Tuesday, March 17

If you’re planning on staying by the beach this year, look no farther than Siesta Key Village for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Few spots in town can throw a pub crawl like the Siesta Key Village with plenty of beachy bars all right next to each other. This is sure to be a boozy celebration between landmark spots like Daiquiri Deck, Siesta Key Oyster Bar, Gilligan’s Island Bar, and 3.14 Pi Craft Beer & Spirits. The pub crawl is 12 hours (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) so you’ll have plenty of time to soak up the sun at the beach, before soaking up some cocktails on the "Block."

St. Patrick’s Day Limerick Contest

Down south on the island of Venice, the Crow’s Nest will be hosting a slightly tamer party, but lively nonetheless. It’s an excellent spot to fill up on traditional St. Patrick’s Day snacks including the requisite corned beef and cabbage while enjoying traditional Irish music and refreshing libations. The highlight of the celebration is the annual limerick contest, this year celebrating 43 years of brief-yet-witty poems. Guests can their limerick ideas through the Crow's Nest website up until March 15. Semi-finalist poems will be read aloud and voted on by the lively crowd in the Tavern after 9 p.m. Slainte!

St. Patrick's Day at The Shamrock

Heading into its 12th year of celebration, The Shamrock on Ringling Blvd is the go to destination for downtown Sarasota St. Patrick’s Day festivities. It’s one of the biggest block parties in town shutting down four blocks of public street outside to make room for a tent housing live Irish music, tons of beer options, and food from area food trucks. This is one huge bash with live Celtic musicians, dancers, pipers and, of course, fine Irish beers all day and night (12 p.m. to 12 a.m.). Parking is limited, so alternative transportation like ridesharing is encouraged.

St. Patrick's Day Party at Pub 32

Moving further south to the Palmer Ranch area of town, Pub 32 will be pumping out fresh St. Patrick’s Day fare all day long. The party is an indoor/outdoor affair, with reservations and tickets available for $40 to enjoy the party inside. Guests that would rather party outside under the tent may do so for $5 without calling in for reservations (or you can bring your own chair). Pub 32 is best known for their fantastic food, so guests should come ready to chow down on a three-course buffet of Irish classics like corned beef and cabbage, sheperd's pie and other fantastic food options. In addition to plenty of food and drinks, the outside tent will host live entertainment including traditional Irish dance, bagpipe and drum performances.

Sarasota St. Paddy's Day Festival

This three-day block party in downtown Sarasota's JD Hamel Park will be a blend of Irish celebrations and seaside favorites with various food offerings ranging from seafood to traditional holiday fare.  Supplement your main course with Irish and tropical drinks – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic – while listening to continuous live music from local and regional bands of all genres. Operating hours range throughout the weekend with Saturday being the longest: 4 - 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free and it's a good idea to bring cash for food and drink samples. You can find more festival details here.