15 Ways to Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day 2025 In Raleigh

Ready to feel the luck o’ the Irish? Head to our city’s lively parade, enjoy fish and chips, or hit up Celtic dancing around town.
By WALTER staff

It’s time to grab your lucky green socks and shamrocks to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day 2023! From bagpipe melodies to pub crawls, Leprechaun costume contests and the best shepherd’s pie around, here are 15 ways you can celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day all week long in Raleigh.

Hit the Town with Lucky’s St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl

Crawl With Us presents a fun all-day bar crawl to celebrate the Irish holiday. Get exclusive merch, such as flashy green and gold beads as well as a party cup with a handy bottle opener lanyard. Make sure to take advantage of the drink and food specials that will make others green with envy. There will also be an after party for those who don’t want the lucky night to end. This event will definitely become a new St. Patrick’s Day tradition!
March 15 | 4 – 12 a.m.; 228 Fayetteville St; Tickets can be found at allevents.com

Head to Downtown for the Annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade

Watch Raleigh’s long-running celebration of all things Irish since 1983. Hear bagpipes, see packs of adorable hound dogs, watch Irish step dancing and more (free to watch; downtown Raleigh; raleighstpats.org). A number of establishments will host afterparties, including Hibernian (311 Glenwood Avenue and 8021 Falls of Neuse Road; hibernianpub.com); Trali Irish Pub (10370 Moncreiffe Road, #109; traliirishpub.com); and Dougherty’s (1979 High House Road, Cary; dohertysirishpubnc.com). At these taverns, expect Celtic tunes, full pints and plenty of food like Scotch eggs, potatoes and fish and chips.
March 15 | 10 a.m. raleighstpats.org

Build a Leprechaun Village at Wilkerson Nature Preserve

Looking for an event the kids will enjoy? Don’t miss the Wilkerson Nature Preserve’s effort to build houses for leprechauns. Children will be able to use natural resources provided by the preserve to build structures for the lucky creatures to live in as they protect their pots of gold. Get ready to build the luckiest houses in Raleigh!
March 14 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.; A.L. Wilkerson Nature Preserve, 5229 Awls Haven Drive; raleighnc.gov

The Luckiest St. Paddy’s Day Bar Crawl

Celebrate All Things Irish at Lonerider Brewery

Lonerider Brewery is hosting a St. Patrick’s Day celebration with drinks, food and live music. The brewery will be making green beer to get guests into the Irish spirit as well as cocktails and sling beers made by a “special guest” bartender. Food trucks like La Republica and Beef Street & A Pig will be providing food that will pair excellently with the drinks. Live music by Thomas Rucker and Blue Plate Special will keep the atmosphere lively and exciting. Come to the Brewery and relax as you enjoy this very green holiday!
March 15 | 12 p.m.; 8816 Gulf Court, Suite 100; allevents.com

Laugh, Play Games and Enjoy Pub Fare at James Joyce Irish Pub

For a celebration with Celtic pub chow and open-mike laughs, visit James Joyce Irish Pub. Enjoy classic menu items like bangers and mash, fish and chips and Guinness on the outdoor patios. As an Irish-themed restaurant, James Joyce makes every week fun, so try your luck and visit on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. for trivia and prizes.
912 W. Main Street, Durham; jamesjoyceirishpub.com

Hit up Tin Roof’s St. Patrick’s Day Party

For great music, tasty food and an eclectic environment head to Tin Roof, in the heart of Glenwood South. Tin Roof has plenty of room to party with a ground level area with a bar, seating and live music stage as well as a rooftop patio with its own full bar and seating. Drink some green beer in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and jam out to music. The lineup for the holiday is Southern Stampede, Martin Terry, Neon Drive, The Reruns and other special artists.
March 15 | 11 a.m.; Tin Roof Raleigh, 300 Glenwood Avenue; tinroofraleigh.com

Mix & Sip St. Paddy’s Day Mixology Class

Want to try bartendending for a night? This St. Patrick’s Day event has got you covered! A certified mixologist will guide guests through making the perfect green cocktails, providing tools and ingredients so that guests can have a hands-on experience. Follow along to learn how to make vibrant and exciting cocktails and don’t hesitate to sip on them as you move on to the next drink. After two rounds, the third round will be a competition to see who makes the best cocktail. May the luck of the Irish be on your side!
March 15 | 7 – 9 p.m.; 510 W Martin St; Tickets found here at allevents.com

Celebrate at the M’Coul’s Public House

Make a trip to M’Coul’s Public House, a pub with all of the Irish staples. Try their unique food items such as the Dublin Burger or the Fisher in the Rye, one of their best menu items. M’Coul’s prides itself on its authentic Irish taste and welcomes anyone and everyone to join in on the Irish spirit. In anticipation of St. Patrick’s Day, the pub has a countdown sign, impatiently waiting for the next time the holiday rolls around. They celebrate the actual day with their very own M’Coul Leprechauns, who run around all weekend encouraging guests to get in the greensest of spirits!
110 W Mcgee St, Greensboro; mcoulspub.com

Eat at the Saints & Scholars Pub

Offering both Irish favorites and other cuisines for those looking for something different, Saints & Scholars Pub is a great option for those looking to get in the Irish spirit. Some favorites include the BBQ Guinness Burger, a classic Fish & Chips and slow cooked pub roast. The pub offers other non-Irish foods such as a Chicken Salad Pita Wrap or a Falafel Wrap. Offering live music and a pet-friendly patio, St. Patrick’s Day can be celebrated eating at one of Raleigh’s hidden gems.
909 Spring Forest Rd; saints&scholarspub.com

Visit Tra’Li’s St. Patrick’s Day Tent Party

Tra’Li is full of Irish spirit all year long with an Irish menu inspired by chef and owner, Eamonn Kelly from County Galway. With formal training in Ireland followed by experience in Boston and New York, he has created a delicious menu including Irish delicacies like potato and cheese croquettes, lamb burgers, shepherds pie and apple crisps. Tra’Li’s annual St Patrick’s Day Tent Party will have Irish music to go with the food and drinks, with the Inis Cairde Irish Dancers and music by Craicdown.
March 17 | 10370 Moncreiffe Road; traliirishpub.com

Make Some Irish Soda Bread

Celebrating the Irish holiday at home this year by baking Irish Soda Bread. This quick-to-make tradition goes perfectly with any jam, butter, meat or Saint Patrick’s Day pint. Unlike most breads, it doesn’t require yeast, but uses baking soda and buttermilk for leavening. “Our traditional Irish Soda quick bread is tender and crumbly and has a little sweetness from the raisins we fold into the dough,” says bread master Lionel Vatinet of La Farm Bakery, who shared his recipe with us.

Take a Trip to Doherty’s

Enjoy classic Irish staples like shepherd’s pie or bangers and mash at either location of Doherty’s Irish Pub. The restaurant draws folks in for not only its food, which combines contemporary America with rustic Ireland, but its hospitality and love for community events too. Monday nights are for pub trivia, Tuesdays are music bingo, and Wednesdays are live Irish music nights! Check its site for details of their annual St. Patrick’s Day block party, which includes Irish dancers, music and bagpipes.
1979 High House Road, Cary; dohertysirishpubnc.com

Stir up a Batch of Potato Soup

Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with the most Irish food of all: potatoes. If you’re planning to celebrate at home with family or friends, serve up this hearty potato soup from Doherty’s Irish Pub. This recipe is perfect for warming up from the brisk March air and can be topped with whatever each diner likes, from sour cream and green onions to bacon and cheddar cheese.

Write a Raleigh-Inspired Limerick

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, why not come up with a fun Limerick? Limericks are typically Irish, often humorous, poems made up of three long and two short rhyming lines. A few years ago, we reached out to the folks at the Redbud Writing group, a Raleigh-based organization that runs classes in creative writing, memoir, and more, to write poems about the City of Oaks in limerick style. Here’s what they wrote — can you do your own? Share it with us!

This article was originally published on waltermagazine.com in February 2023 and updated on February 25, 2025.