College hoops, St. Pat’s converge for one heck of a Thursday Let’s get a few things straight before exploring just how amazing this Thursday will be.
Thursday is the first full day of the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament. Yes, the field expanded to 68, and yes, those four games on Tuesday and Wednesday were a big deal to the teams involved. But no, four games in two days does not a tournament make. When 64 teams battle it out in single-elimination format over two-jammed pack days, that is a tournament.
Thursday is also St. Patrick’s Day. Yes, some big events commemorating the holiday were held over the weekend. But if you handed your buddy a green-dyed domestic light beer and then pinched him for not wearing green, and the date on the calendar read March 12, you deserved to have that beer dumped on your head. One only drinks green beer and pinches others under very specific circumstances. Like St. Patrick’s Day.
March 17 promises to be epic.
On St. Patrick’s Day, every bar that has ever served a Guinness or Bushmills discovers its Irish heritage. And every bar with a television on hand flips on the games so that your co-worker, who doesn’t even know where Old Dominion is located and filled out his brackets based on which mascot would win in a cage match, can watch.
With so many choices for revelry in the metro area, here’s a quick look at 10 places to go. And it’s up to you to call in sick on Friday.
Black Squirrel
This Adams Morgan bar is hosting a “Say No to Green Beer on St. Patrick’s Day” event. If dye in your suds offends, the folks at the Black Squirrel have a discerning taste for good brew. Plus they’ll have corned beef and cabbage. Starts at noon. blacksquirreldc.com.
Crystal City Sports Pub
This year, between CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV, a fan can watch every second of all the action of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. But to do so, you either need to be quick with the clicker, or sit in front of multiple televisions. That’s where the Sports Pub comes in, with more than a hundred screens. And yes, they’ll be celebrating St. Pat’s as well. ccsportspub.com.
Duffy’s Irish Pub
This Packers bar may still be recovering from Green Bay’s Super Bowl victory last month. Points of Roguery performs from 6 to 11 p.m. No cover from noon to 2 p.m. duffysdc.com.
Fado Irish Pub
The good folks at Fado are calling this “The Week of Savage Craic.” It opens early, but the party gets started with 40 Thieves at 3 p.m. Lloyd Dobler Effect headlines at 9 p.m. fadoirishpub.com
Flanagan’s Harp & Fiddle
Bethesda residents need look no further that the Harp & Fiddle. Lots of live music, and kegs and eggs starting at 9 a.m. They’re taking reservations — best make a phone call. flanagansharpandfiddle.com.
The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille
If you didn’t score tickets to one of the four games at Verizon Center on Thursday, the Green Turtle may literally be the closest thing. Plenty of screens at this bar, and they’ll be celebrating St. Pat’s as well. thegreeneturtle.com.
Ireland’s Four Courts
This popular, spacious Courthouse joint which will be filled to the brim with live music and revelry. The 15th annual party spills out into a tented area out back. Doors at 10 a.m. irelandsfourcourts.com.
McGinty’s Public House
The best thing about McGinty’s in Silver Spring is its size: upstairs, downstairs, left, right. It’s big. This is the bar’s fifth St. Patrick’s Day party, complete with 40 Thieves rocking out at night. $10 cover. mcgintyspublichouse.com
Rumors
It takes a hearty soul to survive Rumors, but it takes a hearty soul to survive St. Pat’s. Lindy Promotions presents its 12th Annual Shamrocks & Shenanigans from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Prices start dirt-cheap, with $1.17 Coors Lights from 2 to 3 p.m. A DJ keeps the party going. lindypromo.com.
U Street Music Hall
OK, this has nothing to do with either St. Pat’s or hoops. Which, come to think of it, might be refreshing. The venue celebrates its one-year anniversary on Thursday with a number of DJs. $10. 9 p.m. ustreetmusichall.com
