Your 2015 Guide to St. Patrick’s Day in Chatham County

Every year on March 17, the Irish (and the Irish-at-heart) celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Originally a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland, the holiday has become an international festival celebrating Irish culture with parades, dancing, special foods and a whole lot of green.

In Chatham County, the party starts tonight, as St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner! Celebrate in style by heading to one of these local events (or all of them!):

unWined NC, Jason Olin Oden, March 13:

7:00 to 9:30 pm

James Olin Oden is singer/songwriter of Celtic and Americana music out of Raleigh, NC, which is the perfect style of music to get you in the St. Patty’s Day mood! James often brings other musicians with him, and he is alway a hit at unWined. Come listen for yourself.

While you’re there, enjoy a glass or bottle of NC wine, from one of the more than 20 options.

Carolina Brewery, Free Brewery Tour, March 14:

2:00 pm

Spend an afternoon sampling beers from the oldest brewery in the Triangle. Just a short drive up the road in Chapel Hill, this free brewery tour will get your St. Patty’s Day weekend off to the right start.

Modern LIfe Deli, Craft Beer + Dinner, March 14:

5:30 to 9:30 pm

Modern Life Deli (or “The Mod” for short) provides its patrons fresh and authentic deli fare, the best wood fired pizza around, draft beer, live music, cocktails, and wine. It’s definitely a Pittsboro treat.

When you go out at the Mod, you’ll find a large open dining room, the biggest bar in town, a great patio out front, and the ability to go from vibrant daytime deli to swanky lounge for a night out seamlessly. Sounds like a fun place to be on St. Patty’s Day Weekend!

Cackalacky, Tasting and Taproom Hours, March 15:

2:00 to 4:00 pm

Cackalacky, the North Carolina company behind the self-titled, delicious, sweet-potato-based sauce, settled down in Pittsboro last year (I blogged about them here!). If you want to spend your Sunday afternoon relaxing, head to their Warehouse for a tasting of the delicious savory sauce.

There are lots of options! Last year, Cackalacky partnered with Cheerwine to create Sweet Cheerwine Sauce, and recently, the company partnered with Fullsteam brewery to create Cackalacky Ginger Pale Ale. For those of you who can’t get enough, there are also Cackalacky spiced nuts, which are just as delicious as the sauce.

City Tap, Pub Run, March 16:

6:00 pm

There’s nothing like an easy run to fix a hangover fast. Purge the craziness of the weekend by heading to the Pub Run at City Tap in Pittsboro. In addition to feeling better about yourself, you’ll know that you’re doing good in the world, as a portion of the night’s proceeds benefit the Abundance Foundation, which aims to be a hub of sustainability and local economy in central North Carolina.

If you have fun at Monday’s Pub Crawl, there’s good news! City Tap hosts a similar event every Monday, so you can always start your week off in a healthy way.

Pittsboro Road House, Evening Music, March 16:

7:00 to 9:30 pm

After burning off your calories at the City Tap Pub Run, refuel over at the PIttsboro Road House. On Monday evening, the restaurant is featuring a relaxing evening of Dean Martin music — what a great way to unwind for the rest of the week! The menu includes made-from-scratch salads, seafood dishes and delicious desserts, all crafted with local ingredients.

Carolina Brewery, Trivia Night, March 17:

8:30 pm

If you’re still not partied out by Tuesday, make sure to head back to Carolina Brewery in Chapel Hill (remember the beer tasting on Saturday?). The brewery recently celebrated its 20th birthday, and it’s now the oldest brewery in the Triangle. Head to trivia night to enjoy some of your favorite Carolina Brewery beers on special and compete to win great prizes.

Fitzgerald Chapel Hill, St. Patrick’s Day Special, March 17:

11:00 am to 2:00 am

If you don’t mind making a bit of a trip into Chapel Hill, Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub will give you a St. Patty’s Day party proper! The Irish restaurant will have a special menu complete with all of your Irish favorites (and some of your Fitz favorites too).

Like any good St. Patrick’s Day party, they’ll have plenty of great Irish drink specials including green beer! Get there early to catch the Jameson ice luge on the patio and grab your party favors. It’s going to be a great day and the night will end with a DJ late night!

Make sure to wear your green!!