Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Santa Barbara

By edhat staff

Happy Irish-American holiday, better known as St. Patrick’s Day!

While the day is rooted in religious undertones, marking the death of Ireland’s patron Saint Patrick, Irish immigrants brought the commemoration to the United States as early as 1737. Festivities have grown in the following years where it’s estimated that 33 million people worldwide raise pints of Guinness and eat corned beef for Ireland’s sake.

Here are some ideas to celebrate the holiday while wearing your green-themed outfit.

SHOP LOCAL

Order Bangers N’ Mash or Corned Beef & Cabbage from Santa Barbara’s very own Irish pub, Dargan’s.
Grab an Irish Coffee at Santa Barbara’s very own Irish literary bar, the James Joyce.
Visit local breweries and bars to chat with fellow Santa Barbarans, just as pubs are used for gathering spaces in Ireland.
Pick up freshly baked bread and shamrock cookies from local bakeries. Andersen’s Danish Bakery is serving up Shamrock cookies.

LOCAL EVENTS

The Decent Folk Irish band will be rockin’ Irish at Wylde Works, 609 State Street, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm on Friday, March 17.
St. Patrick’s Day Bash with Spencer & the Worried Lads at SOHO on Friday, March 17.
St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl on Saturday (March 18) at Institution Ale.
Santa Barbara Revels host their 16th annual PUB SING at Dargan’s on Tuesday, March 21st from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Tickets available at the door ($20/adult, $10/child). Admission includes a songbook, beverage, and terrific time!

DRINK

Have the tried and true national beer of Ireland, Guinness (which is still produced at the St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin to this day)
Take other types of Irish beer, such as Harp, and add a few drops of green food coloring for a green beer.
There are too many Irish whiskey brands to name but grab a few and have a small tasting. Jameson, Midelton, Redbreast, and Tyrconnell are just a few.
Enjoy your evening (or morning, we won’t judge) with a little whiskey in your coffee for an Irish Coffee.
Bailey’s Irish Floats are great for a boozy dessert.

COOK

Irish Soda Bread comes in many variations that are equally delicious. There’s also a 30-minute Irish Brown Bread that’s easy to make and very tasty.
Use the versatility of Guinness with a cozy Guinness Beef Stew or Beef and Guinness Pie.
The ever traditional corned beef and cabbage.
Take some extra time to create a brioche bread and butter pud dessert.
You’ll never go wrong with an Irish apple cake with custard sauce.

EXPERIENCE

Listen to authentic Irish tunes
Watch movies with Irish themes. Here are just a few options: Bloody Sunday, Michael Collins, Angela’s Ashes, Circle of Friends, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Brooklyn, and the newly released Belfast.
Hop online and learn about Irish history.
Try to learn an Irish jig with this YouTube video
Listen to poetry by Irish authors such as W.B. Yeats, Seamus Heaney, and Samuel Beckett for free on Spotify.
For additional reading, we previously published a story about a trip our Publisher made to Dingle, Ireland. Dingle was one of Santa Barbara’s sister cities and it has a dolphin statue created by our very own Bud Bottoms. Read more about Lauren’s trip to Dingle here.