Every year around this time, the fiddles get a little livelier, outfits get a bit greener, and menus at local restaurants start offering hints of corned beef and cabbage and beer specials.
It is the siren call of the approaching St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, taking place on March 17, and if you are unable to make it to the singularity of all things St. Paddy’s – Butte – the Flathead has enough Celtic and green to make your holiday cheerful as the valley salutes the start of spring.
From Whitefish to the shores of Flathead Lake, take a look at some of the events happening this year and see where the luck o’ the Irish will take you.
KALISPELL
of St. Paddy’s Day revelry has been Brannigan’s Irish Pub in downtown Kalispell, and the folks at the pub are planning another four days of fun.
“We have a ton going on,” Zane Levengood of Brannigan’s said. “It’ll be awesome.”
Along with hundreds of pounds of corned beef and cabbage, which is already a staple on the Brannigan’s menu but gets kicked into high gear for the holiday, there will be drink specials, live music, and dancing.
The pub will set up its customary parking lot tent to account for the overflow for all the events, which begin the weekend before St. Paddy’s. The music lineup on Saturday, March 14, will feature God Fearing Women at 5:30 p.m., and 20 Grand at 7:30 p.m.
On March 15, Sapphire Shakedown takes the stage at 5:30 p.m., followed by the New Wave Time Trippers at 7:30 p.m. On Monday, March 16, join the Moonshine Mountain Band at 5:30 p.m., and the O’Connells at 7:30 p.m.
Finally, on St. Patrick’s Day, the pub will present a full day of music, starting with Chance Cole at 1:30 p.m., then traditional Irish music from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Marshall Catch rounding out the evening, starting at 7:30 p.m.
There will also be $3 Irish beers, $3 Irish whiskeys, $5 cocktail specials, and plenty of food. And for the ever-important designated drivers, Brannigan’s will offer complimentary non-alcoholic beverages.
Also in Kalispell on March 17, be sure to check out the St. Patrick’s Day parade, which starts at 4 p.m. and runs down Main Street. The parade is hosted by the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and the Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureau.
This year, the best float or group participating in the parade will win $100. Lineup for the parade starts at First Avenue West and flows down Eighth Street before hitting Main Street.
WHITEFISH
St. Patrick’s Day is a great time to wander the bars and restaurants in downtown Whitefish, where festive live music will ring in the holiday.
At Casey’s, rock out with Badger Hound and Sapphire Shakedown, who will be bringing the punk rock and outlaw country tunes to complement the drink specials and $5 corned beef and cabbage. There is no cover charge, and the doors open at 8:30 p.m.; the show starts at 9:30 p.m.
DJ Johnny will see the night through until 2 a.m.
The Great Northern Bar will have live Celtic music from McGrin and O’Bear It, followed up with Whitewater Ramble, which offers “high-octane rocky mountain dancegrass” to get your Irish dancing in and liven up the evening.
BIGFORK
The village by the bay has plenty of watering holes to wet your whistle on St. Patrick’s Day, and the new brewery location for Flathead Lake Brewing Company is a great place to welcome spring.
FLBC will offer an Irish menu, with corned beef, herb potatoes and cabbage, with acoustic music in the Irish tradition to complement the meal. For more information, visit www.flatheadlakebrewing.com.
LAKESIDE
Tamarack Brewing Company will offer St. Patrick’s Day specials on March 17, bringing the green to the West Shore. For more information, visit www.tamarackbrewing.com.