Saint Patrick’s Day, also known as the Feast of Saint Patrick, falls on Tuesday, March 17 this year. Originally meant to celebrate the arrival of Christianity to Ireland (and of Irish culture in general), the holiday is now celebrated all over the world, mostly as an excuse to wear green, talk in an Irish accent, and consume copious amounts of alcohol.
Being the “party city” that it is, Denver has no shortage of Irish pubs—and no shortage of young, festive city-dwellers looking for an excuse to wear green kilts and drink to excess. As a result, you’ll likely find dozens of St. Patrick’s Day events in and around Denver—from parades, festivals and pub crawls—that include everything from green beer to line dancing, bagpipes, step-dancing, and Irish fare.
Since the holiday falls on a Tuesday this year, most events are taking place the weekend prior (March 13, 14 and 15). To help you plan your festivities, here’s a rundown of some of the more popular St. Patty’s happenings around Denver.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Denver’s highly-anticipated annual St. Patrick’s Day parade will be on Saturday, March 14 at 9:30 am. The route will start at 19th and Wynkoop, heading down to 17th, then South on Blake to 27th street. As one of the largest St. Patty’s Day parades in the country, the event features around 10,00 marchers and 200,000 spectators. Expect a plethora of floats, bagpipes, costumes, step dancing, stagecoaches and more throughout the 4-hour parade. Due to the high volume of attendees, we recommend going as early as 6 am and utilizing public transportation. If you must park on your own, consider doing so at the Coors Field parking structure, which will provide free parking on a first-come, first-serve basis between 7 am and 9 am.
Block Party
This year’s St. Patrick’s Day block party is happening at Revel Social, off Blake St. in LoDo. Entry tickets cost $25 for regular admission or $60 for VIP, which grants you a faster entrance, 2 free drinks and private seating. The party, which lasts from 9 am to 10 pm, is put on every year by Fado Irish Pub and is advertised as the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Denver. The block party will feature live music, several cocktail and beer bars, food trucks, and a variety of vendors. Drinks will be provided by Mile High Spirits.
St. Patrick’s Day Festival
Olde Town Arvada hosts the annual St. Patrick’s Day festival at the Arvada Business Improvement District, where you’ll find live music, vendors, street food, and drinks from a variety of Arvada’s breweries and distillers. The festival is happening on March 14 from 12 noon to 6 pm. Admission is free at this family-friendly event.
Bar Crawls
What better time than St. Patty’s for an Irish pub crawl? This year’s Luck of the Irish pub crawl, put on by Social Scene, features 2 check-in locations in LoDo Larimer and LoDo Ballpark, with different venues depending on which location you begin from. The event includes food and drink specials at each venue, as well as a scavenger hunt and special gift for ticket holders.
The Barcrawlerz Kiss Me I’m Irish bar crawl is another option, featuring venues such as Mile High Spirits, Brothers Bar & Grill, the Icehouse Tavern, Howl at the Moon and more. A wristband grants you free admission to all participating venues as well as drink specials.
Other Parties / Celebrations
There are dozens of spots scattered throughout the city doing their own take on St. Patrick’s Day. Landsdown Arms in Highlands Ranch is throwing a 4-day celebration all weekend and on the 17th, featuring dancers, bagpipes and drums, live music, and promotions for Breckenridge, Bushmills, Budweiser and Guinness. The party goes late into the evening on Saturday with karaoke, as well as on Tuesday with a live DJ.
The Irish Rover on Broadway opens at 10 am both Saturday, March 14 and Tuesday, March 17. The popular Irish pub will feature dancing and music, bagpipes, corn beef and drink specials, and more.
The ViewHouse Ballpark will open their doors at 8 am on Saturday to host viewers of the downtown parade. Be sure to catch the after-party with live music, traditional Irish fare, and $4 green beer specials.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but just some highlights; there are dozens of St. Patrick’s Day festivities going on around the city. Be sure to look out for special events in your community as there are sure to be a few! We wish you the happiest, luckiest and safest St. Patty’s Day in 2020!
