PARADE
For once, the popular Rough Riders St. Patrick's Day night parade in Ybor City will actually fall on St. Patrick's Day.
The celebration, an Irish stew of Gasparilla krewes, marching bands and green-bead throwing party floats, is always held the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day. It's expected to attract some 20,000 people.
And, as luck would have it, the earlier Daylight Saving Time this year means it will only just be getting dark when the 117 units get rolling, said Mike Thompson, chairman of the parade. That makes it easier on families that might be leery of heading to party-hardy Ybor on a Saturday night, Thompson said.
"There's always the young people who are going to be there - it is Ybor, after all," Thompson said. "But we get started at 8 and most of the ... let's say rowdy ... crew gets there at 10 or 11 at night when we'll be finishing up. So there's a lot of families and kids at this parade."
The parade starts at 8 p.m at Nick Nuccio Parkway and Seventh Avenue and proceeds up Seventh past Centro Ybor, ending at 20th Street about two hours later.
- Sharon Kennedy Wynne wynne@tampabay.com
AT THE BARS
Ricky T's, 10601 Gulf Blvd. on Treasure Island and 6100 Gulf Blvd. on St. Pete Beach. St. Patrick's Day has always been a huge event here. Bar owner Rick Taylor would even dye his red hair bright green. Friends can be forgiven if they are full of Irish melancholy as they remember the big man with the big laugh who died March 3 from heart failure. There will still be a party this year, with huge tents and live music set up on St. Pete Beach, a free shuttle running between the two locations and Irish food specials all day. There's a $5 cover charge at the St. Pete Beach location only.
O'Keefe's Tavern 1219 S Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater; (727) 442-9034. This party's so big it's starting at 4 p.m. Friday and continuing into Saturday. Nearly 500 pounds of corned beef and 200 kegs of green beer will be on hand for a crowd that spills outside to a block-long party zone under a tent. Irish music and dancing both days.
Four Green Fields, 205 Platt St., Tampa; (813) 254-4444. The authentic thatched roof Irish pub will have food set up outside and in, with entertainment starting at noon and running till the wee hours. The buffet costs $14.95. If you don't care for Irish stew or corned beef, it's a $10 cover.
Fitzgerald's Irish Tavern, 5811 Nebraska Ave., New Port Richey; (727) 816-9092. Black Irish humor is in abundance at this upscale pub with the 35-foot mahogany bar. Every St. Patrick's Day they hold a make-believe " Irish Wake'' that runs until closing at 2 a.m. Saturday. Lots of dining and dancing.
MacDinton's, 405 S Howard Ave., Tampa; (813) 251-8999. South Tampa's largest Irish pub expects to be hopping all weekend, between the Irish rugby games on the telly and live music and dancing inside and out. On Saturday, there's a cover charge of $10 starting at 4 p.m. and an array of Irish food until 10 p.m.
Dubliner Irish Pub, 2307 W Azeele St. in South Tampa's Hyde Park section; (813) 258-2257. They will kick things off early Saturday with a Great Guinness Breakfast starting at 9 a.m. What's that, you say? A traditional Irish breakfast of eggs, sausage, rashers, potatoes and baked beans paired with a pint of Guinness Stout, for $15. Then the rest of the day and night will be filled with diverse Irish musical acts and dancing until 3 a.m.
Emerald Bar, 550 Central Ave., St. Petersburg; (727) 898-6054. The shamrock in the window will welcome purists who need more entertainment than green beer. The Kevin K Band, a veteran of the New York punk scene, opens at 9 p.m. Then comes The Crash Mitchell Quartet. $5 cover.
OTHER EVENTS
Shamrocks and Shenanigans The Bay Area Renaissance Festival at MOSI will have a medieval Irish twist this weekend with games such as Irish Caleigh (that’s a Celtic band), green beer, Highland games with the Dunedin Highland Gamers competing in the stone put and caber toss, the Tampa Bay Pipes and Drums and an Irish ale tasting. The festival is 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Fowler Avenue and N 46th Street, next to Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry. Adults $13.95 advance, $15.95 gate; children $5.95 advance, $7.95 gate; seniors $12.95 all times. 4 and younger free. (813) 983-0111, 1-800-601-4848; www.renaissancefest.com.
St. Patrick’s Day Street Festival Dunedin goes green along Main Street starting at 11 a.m. Saturday with music, food, pipers and step dancers. Flanagan’s Irish Pub, 465 Main St., will have Irish dancers, the Dunedin Pip band and two food tents.
