Kiss Us, We’re Irish-ish: How to Celebrate St. Paddy's in Pensacola
Irish and beach celebrations march into spring If you can run, walk or pub crawl, you can find your Irish celebration in the Pensacola area without all those Blarney Stones. We are a long way from the Emerald Isle, but our coastal bergs along Pensacola Bay are brimming with emerald green waters, smiling eyes and more than a few places to dance a jig.
That’s why St. Patrick’s Week is special here. The floats and beads from Mardi Gras are long gone, replaced by a pulsating groundswell of people parades. We have the nation’s largest Prediction Run/bouncing street party and a beach-flavored Irish pub crawl that could just about set an Uber driver up for retirement.
The McGuire’s Irish Pub 5K Prediction Run
This annual event has been a Pensacola tradition, a ritual even, for more than 40 years.
It’s a run, technically. More than 15,000 folks will line up at the starting line at McGuire’s Irish Pub, accompanied by the sound of the McGuire’s Irish Bagpipe band. Those who actually run, wearing short shorts of breathable fabrics, will dart away and leave behind the rest of us.
When the bagpipes play and a cannon sounds to start, thousands of suddenly Irish citizens, many wearing kilts, leprechaun costumes or green tutu’s — sometimes all at the same time, will surge, sway and swagger around Pensacola’s bayfront and historic downtown.
Go Irish on the Island St. Patrick’s Day Beach Pub Crawl
Every year on St. Patrick’s Day, rain or shine, a daylong pub-crawl takes place on Pensacola Beach where hundreds of people, in a large sea of green, tour a dozen of the iconic and quirky watering holes and eatery stops along the island. Each stop lasts approximately 45 minutes, then the crowd is on to the next bar or restaurant.
There is plenty of green beer and Irish whiskey to partake along the way. The goal is to make it to all 12 stops and still be standing.
Grog March in Downtown
Taking place at O'Riley's Irish Pub in Downtown Pensacola, the Grog March is a St. Patty's festivity you surely won't want to miss.
Come join the festivities and celebrate with fellow revelers at the O'Riley's Grog March! Don your finest St. Patrick's Day attire and let's turn the town green together!
