Paint the town green with these St. Patrick’s Day events

Last Updated on March 17, 2023, 8:18 AM | Published: March 10, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY — (UPDATED) — With an early Spring settling in for OKC, the grass isn’t the only thing going green this month.

Every year, that most glorious of Irish celebrations, St. Patrick’s Day, brings fun, feasting, and loads of green food coloring to the city. But when March 17th happens to fall on a Friday night – as it does this year – you just know OKC will be partying harder than ever.

St. Paddy’s celebrations this year take the form of feasts, films, family fun, and even Floyd.

ShamROCK the Gardens – Myriad Botanical Gardens – March 17th – 11:00 am

Now that the lead-in events are out of the way, you can kick the St. Paddy’s holiday off right with the greenest of greenery and some late-morning, family-friendly music, food, and of course the cornerstone of any Paddy’s celebration: beer.

Big Friendly will have their bus on the scene to get the drinks flowing alongside plenty of food trucks and live traditional Irish music from the McTeggart Irish Dancers, Flowers of Edinburgh, and more.

Don’t forget to dress in your best green getup, and prepare for what’s looking like some perfectly Irish-style weather.

St. Patrick’s Day Block Party at McNellie’s Pub – March 17th – 7:00 pm

Sure, you could go bar-hopping and pub-crawling to drink your fill of green beer and “Danny Boy” the night away, but some local favorite locales are offering a selection of great alternatives for Paddy’s festivities.

First up is likely the biggest and most classic party in town as OKC’s most-loved pub gets the party going all day and night.

St. Patrick’s Day was supposed to be a day of feast to honor the Catholics’ Saint Patrick, so if you want some serious traditional Irish feasting, look no further than the endless draft beers and Fassler-supplied food that will be spilling outside and filling up Midtown all day long.

Live music will be scoring the festivities throughout the day, with local indie king Mike Hosty hitting the stage at 7:00 to bring you all the drunken singalongs you could hope for.

“Leprechaun” – Rodeo Cinema – March 17th – 7:00 pm

If instead of the usual drinking and revelry, you prefer to celebrate with some B-movie irony and horror hilarity, then 1993’s “Leprechaun” is surely already a part of your Paddy’s tradition.

But what could be better than catching this comic-schlock masterpiece with a full audience?

Cult legend Warwick Davis hams it to perfection as the titular creature of Irish myth as he terrorizes a group of teens (led by a young Jennifer Aniston) that he suspects of stealing his gold.

And remember, Rodeo has a full selection of beers as well, so you can still celebrate the old-fashioned way, even in the theater.

St. Patrick’s Day in Red Piano Lounge – Skirvin Hilton Hotel – 4:00 pm

Perhaps you’re looking for a festive feast option that errs on the classier side.

The Skirvin’s classically styled jazz piano bar, Red Piano Lounge, will be aiming for the upscale crowd as they celebrate St. Paddy’s throughout the evening. 

Expect appropriately jazzy renditions of Irish traditionals, a special menu featuring hors d’oeuvre takes on corned beef, Dublin potatoes, and fish and chips, and of course, plenty of the best Irish whiskey.

Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular – Tower Theatre – March 17th – 7:00 pm

Okay, so maybe this one doesn’t have any direct connection to St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s great for celebrating a whole different kind of “green.”

“Laser Floyd” is a time-honored tradition, and if you want to stay indoors and avoid the city’s floods of green beer and fiddle music with some visually stunning accompaniment to some of the greatest music of the twentieth century, there’s nothing better.

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