Our golden city on the coast
couldn’t be more different than the overcast, emerald green isle of Ireland,
but this weekend it will be all about Irish traditions. San Diego might not be known for strong Gaelic ties, but this town takes celebrating Saint
Patrick’s Day seriously. True, we
have almost a week until the 17th of March, but this weekend is when
the fun really begins.
Starting bright and early at
7:45am, the 35th Annual St. Patrick’s Day 10K Run will take place on
Saturday, the 14th.
This run has something for everyone no matter your fitness levels. In addition to the 10K, there is also a
2- and 4-mile walk/run. The route
winds around Mission Bay, so along with gorgeous weather, you’re going to have
just as gorgeous scenery. Everyone
who finishes will receive a medal and t-shirt, and since the event is sponsored
by Domino’s Pizza, there will also be free . . . you guessed it, pizza. An award will be given for the best
“Irish Themed” running getup, so feel free to channel your inner
leprechaun. Not feeling up
for the run? You can always cheer
on those who are running to benefit Rady Children’s Hospital and get a kick out
of the more festive runners.
Downtown San Diego has the largest parade west of
the Mississippi, all it’s in honor of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of
Ireland. The annual St. Patrick’sDay Parade this Saturday features bagpipes, high school marching bands, police
and fire department units, dancers, equestrian units, and of course,
floats. This year’s theme is
“Celebrating Faith and Freedom,” and to commemorate this theme, there will be a
flag raising ceremony at 9:45am in Balboa Park near 6th Ave and
Juniper St. The parade starts at
10:30am and will be guaranteed fun for the whole family. Did we mention it’s free?
In conjunction with the parade, there is also the St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Balboa Park. Food and craft booths, along with two beer gardens will be ready to go at 9:00am. Two hours later, at 11:00am, the toe-tapping live entertainment on two stages will begin; Irish Step Dancers, traditional Celtic music, Irish folk singers, and Irish rock bands will provide free entertainment until 5:30pm. At the corner of Sixth and Quince, there will also be an authentic Celtic Village meant to resemble 1582 with performers recreating Irish history. To top off the fun, the Festival also offers a Kids Zone. Let the little ones play games, pet llamas, get their faces painted, enjoy the rides, and learn more about Ireland’s fascinating history.
In conjunction with the
parade, there is also the St. Patrick’s Day Festival in
Balboa Park. Food and craft booths, along with two beer gardens will be
ready to go at 9:00am. Two hours later, at 11:00am, the toe-tapping live
entertainment on two stages will begin; Irish Step Dancers, traditional Celtic
music, Irish folk singers, and Irish rock bands will provide free entertainment
until 5:30pm. At the corner of Sixth and Quince, there will also be an
authentic Celtic Village meant to resemble 1582 with performers recreating
Irish history. To top off the fun, the Festival also offers a Kids
Zone. Let the little ones play games, pet llamas, get their faces
painted, enjoy the rides, and learn more about Ireland’s fascinating history.
There
might not be a pot o’ gold waiting at the end of the rainbow this weekend
(there’ll be too much sun and absolutely no rain), but a good time will be had
by all. Mission Bay, once again, is
at the center of it all. Let your
St. Patrick’s Day celebrations start early this weekend and continue through
the actual holiday on the 17th. You might need a few days of resting on the beach anyway to recover
from the weekend.
