4 Rivers Smokehouse Specials for the holiday include the St. Patrick's Day Burger ($6.99), a chargrilled ground brisket patty topped with provolone, corned beef, caramelized onions and creamy horseradish; black bean and orzo salad tossed with grilled corn, garlic, smoked tomatoes, scallions and cilantro; and shamrock sugar cookies and a cupcake with shamrock sprinkles from the in-house Sweet Shop. 4 Rivers has two restaurants locally, one in Carrollwood and the other in South Tampa. March 17 & 18. 14330 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, 844-474-8377, 4rsmokehouse.com.
6th Annual Paddyfest Extravaganza This now weeklong festival features several signature events. From Irish 31 and its younger sibling Ferg's Live, the celebration's highlights include the scavenger hunt-style Blarney Bike Ride with New Belgium Brewing, wing-eating competitions at Irish 31's three locations, a flip cup tournament, live music, and a free corned beef and cabbage buffet for Shamrock Shuffle runners. Learn more. March 12-19. Various locations, Tampa, paddyfest.org.
Bar@548 A weekend of fun Irish cocktails and drinking games. A leprechaun sighting is also a possibility. March 17-19. 548 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-914-7424, bar548.com.
Barley Mow Brewing Company This Largo craft brewery is set to feature Jameson specials, corned beef sliders and brewer’s pie from The Raven, a bagpiper and rockabilly during its not-so-average St. Punktrick's Day party. March 17, noon-11 p.m. 518 W. Bay Drive, Largo, 727-584-7772, mowbeer.com.
Caddy's on the Beach Hang outside with the Treasure Island beachfront bar-restaurant. Patrons enjoy an Irish food menu, photo opportunities with a leprechaun, and the Dunedin Pipe Band, starting at 1 p.m. March 17, noon. 9000 W. Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island, 727-360-4993, caddysotb.com.
Cage Brewing Celebrate with special holiday beers from the St. Petersburg brewery, brewed just for the occasion. March 17, 6-11 p.m. 2001 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg, 727-201-4278.
Cricketers Pub Three days of live bands, two full-liquor bars, a beer truck and tasty food (the menu is limited) in the parking lot of Cricketers. Expect face painters, souvenirs, games for prizes and hula-hoop shows at the party, too. March 17-19. 2634 Bayshore Blvd., Dunedin, 727-736-1322, cricketerspub.com.
Flanagan's Irish Pub This traditional local mainstay has a packed bill of musicians set for its two-day street festival. Performers include the Dunedin Pipe Band, Lucid Druid and Emmigrant Sons. View the full schedule. March 17 & 18, 11 a.m.-midnight. 465 Main St., Dunedin, 727-401-3477, flanagansirishpub.net.
The Fresh Market For a wee bit of fun, check out your neighborhood Fresh Market's store-wide samplings of Irish soda bread, Kerrygold cheese, pretzels and other tastes. March 8-17. 2900 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-822-4913, thefreshmarket.com.
The Galley A St. Pete pub with corned beef and other traditional Irish pub fare in the kitchen all day (and night) long. Plus, Guinness, Jameson and drink specials (think $5 Tullamore Dew), alongside live music from 8 p.m. to midnight. March 17, 11:30 a.m.-3 a.m. 27 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-575-7071, thegalleystpete.com.
GameTime Free shamrocks and mugs, bead necklaces and drink specials, including $5 Guinness pints and $6 Irish cocktails, throughout the day. Enjoy a $12 Reuben burger, then take your drinks to the mega arcade. March 17, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. 1600 E. Eighth Ave. #A147 Tampa, 813-241-9675, gametimeplayers.com.
Krystal After all that drinking, nab this deal on a late-night snack — 10 burgers and 10 wings for $10 — from your nearest Krystal in honor of St. Paddy's. March 17. 2625 W. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa, 813-871-2059, krystal.com.
The Lucky Anchor In downtown Clearwater, the grand opening of this new Irish sports pub coincides with St. Patrick's Day. Giveaways, bands outside, $1-off beer until 7 p.m. and $2 shots all day. March 17-18. 519 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727-223-8346.
MacDinton's Both of the pub and restaurant's locations in St. Pete and Tampa have green beer, live music (bagpipes and dancers included), drink deals and Irish cuisine planned throughout the weekend. March 16, 4 p.m.; March 17, 11 a.m.; March 18, 11 a.m. 242 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg, 727-201-9783, macdintons.com.
Mastry's Brewing Co. Another spot not far from the water, Mastry's has a huge celebration planned for the beach community. Guests can look forward to food truck fare from IThai & Sushi and DJ Fisher the Man. March 17, 3 p.m.-midnight. 7701 Blind Pass Road, St. Pete Beach, 727-202-8045, mastrysbrewingco.com.
Mulligans Irish Pub At the Wentworth Gulf Club, a $14 buffet feast, green beer, special entertainment (including a bounce house and face painting for kids) and drink deals. Can't make it? Head to this Irish pub the day after St. Paddy's for an extended celebration. Learn more. $5 cover after 4 p.m. March 17, noon-"late." 2990 Wentworth Way, Tarpon Springs, 727-942-4760, wentworthgolfclub.org.
O'Keefe's Tavern A mix of Irish dishes (corned beef and cabbage among them), green beer, bagpipes and dancers, and arts and craft vendors. Get the fun started early at the bar’s Irish Eve Party with entertainment like live bands, or stop by on the holiday for beer tastings and a face painter, among other activities. Learn more. March 16, 4 p.m.; March 17, noon. 1219 S. Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater, 727-442-9034, okeefestavernonline.com.
O'Maddy's Bar & Grille Everything from corned beef and cabbage to Reuben sandwiches to green beer. The music lineup spotlights Rob Tyre, Joshua Cruz and others. A sneak peek of a few boats from the Gulfport Grand Prix is also planned. March 17, 11 a.m.-3 a.m. 5405 Shore Blvd. S., Gulfport, 727-323-8643, omaddys.com.
O'Toole's A three-day affair at this Irish pub and restaurant means a full liquor bar, green beer and Irish specialties all day Friday (there's a $10 cover charge in advance or $12 at the door). Live music and O'Toole's favorite Gasparilla crew, the Sea Saviors, to keep the merriment going on Saturday. And an all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch to sooth your hangover. Stay updated. March 17-19. 1215 W. Brandon Blvd., Brandon, 813-684-2600, otoolesirishbar.com.
Peggy O's Kitchen & Taps A three-day event showcasing tons of entertainment (Irish dancers and live music included) as well as a beer truck, full-liquor stations and all things Irish when it comes to food — corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, you name it. Learn more. March 16, 5 p.m.; March 17 & 18, noon. 1026 Florida Ave., Palm Harbor, 727-787-7734, peggyos.com.
The Pint and Brew A bash with $5 beers from brands like Guinness, Harp, Smithwicks and Killkenny. There's a $5 gourmet Reuben grilled cheese in store as well. March 17, noon-midnight. 3261 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor, 727-515-9946, thepintandbrew.com.
St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl Come dressed in green for this themed bar hop through downtown St. Pete with Tampa Bay Club Sport. Tickets include one free drink at five bars (draft Miller Lite and Blue Moon, depending on the venue) and swag. The evening's stops are Thirsty First (where the crawl begins), Playerz Tap House & Grill, One Night Stand, Five Bucks Drinkery and Caddy's on Central. Find tickets online. $20 in advance. March 11, 5-10 p.m. 119 First Ave. N. St. Petersburg, 727-317-3333, tampabayclubsport.com.
Three Birds Tavern All the drinks, music, dancers and Irish-inspired grub (think cottage pie, corned beef and Irish cream cheesecake) you could ask for. Tampa's Scariff School of Irish Dance perform twice — at noon, then again at 6 p.m. Oh, and Guinness and Jameson are on hand, of course. March 17, 11 a.m. 1492 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-895-2049, threebirdstavern.com.
The Wild Rover Brewery First-come, first-served corned beef and colcannon (mashed potatoes with kale or cabbage), $1-off pints of Locomotive Breath Irish Red and Jailbreak Irish Stout, and a limited release of an Irish red aged on Irish whiskey-soaked oak called Jamie's Cryin'. Starting at 7 p.m., Babyl provides the live tunes. March 17, 5 p.m.-1 a.m. 13921 Lynmar Blvd., Tampa, 813-475-5995, thewildroverbrewery.com.
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This article appears in Mar 9-16, 2017.