St. Patrick’s Day in Woodbury: Events, Specials, Facts

St. Patrick’s Day 2013 is Sunday, March 17, and here’s a quick rundown of Woodbury-related happenings.

If you know of interesting events—even if it’s just green beer served at a local restaurant—let us know in the comments section below.

One of the nation’s largest St. Patrick’s Day events will include a contingent from Woodbury.

The Woodbury High School marching band is set to show off its skills in the 252nd parade on Saturday, March 16.

The band will have a Minnesota flavor for the event in the Big Apple, playing John Philip Sousa’s Minnesota March and the Owl City/Carly Rae Jepsen song Good Time.

Related: Woodbury High School Marching Band to Perform in New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Plans have been in the works for more than a year, and Woodbury students will hold a send-off performance at 7:45 a.m. Thursday, March 14, in the Woodbury High School auditorium.

The NYC parade runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 16. The Woodbury marching band is set to step off at 12:50 p.m. and will reach TV cameras between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Portions of the parade will be streamed live online here.

Woodbury’s only Irish pub, O’Malley’s, will host a party for kids on Saturday, March 16.

The event, which begins at noon, includes face painting, balloons, crafts and more. O’Malley’s will also offer $2 off all “Irish pints” and drinks.

St. Patrick’s Day events at the bar will run through Sunday, March 17. Check out the O’Malley’s website for details.

The St. Patrick’s Day weekend means plenty of specials at Lakes Tavern & Grill.

All day Saturday and Sunday, Lakes Tavern features:

• $2.95 mugs of green beer (Coors Light)
• $2 green Jell-O shots
• $12.95 corned beef and cabbage

Also, on Saturday night Lakes Tavern & Grill will be host a party starting at 6 p.m. that features games, contests, and prizes. Patrons are encouraged to wear green outfits.

Woodbury's Great Harvest Bread Co. is serving up Irish baked goods, including a Lift Bridge Stout and Gouda bread made with beer from the Stillwater brewery.

Irish soda bread, caraway rye and Reuben rolls (stuffed with corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese), along with Irish cream and chocolate scruffins, are also available.

March is Irish-American Heritage Month. Below are a number of facts from the U.S. Census Bureau.

History

Originally a religious holiday to honor St. Patrick, who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into a celebration for all things Irish.

The world’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade occurred on March 17, 1762, in New York City, featuring Irish soldiers serving in the English military. This parade became an annual event, with President Truman attending in 1948. Congress proclaimed March as Irish-American Heritage Month in 1995, and the President issues a proclamation commemorating the occasion each year. 

34.7 million   

Number of U.S. residents who claimed Irish ancestry in 2010. This number was more than seven times the population of Ireland itself (4.58 million). Irish was the nation’s second most frequently reported ancestry, trailing only German.

144,588

Number of Irish-born naturalized U.S. residents in 2010.

7

Number of places in the United States named Shamrock, the floral emblem of Ireland. Mount Gay-Shamrock in West Virginia and Shamrock, Texas, were the most populous, with 1,779 and 1,910 residents, respectively. Three Shamrock Townships in Minnesota, Nebraska and Missouri had populations of 1,272, 413 and 40, respectively. There is also the township of Cloverleaf in Minnesota.

16

Number of places in the United States that share the name of Ireland’s capital, Dublin. The most populous of these places is Dublin, Calif., with a population of 46,036.

26.4 billion and 2.3 billion

U.S. beef and cabbage production, respectively, in pounds, in 2010. Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish.

$24 million

Value of potted florist chrysanthemum sales at wholesale in 2010 for operations with $100,000 or more sales. Lime-green chrysanthemums are often requested for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

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