In the days before St. Patrick’s Day, simply by wearing notably green accessories and a festive gleam in your eyes, you and a few friends can create a Paddy’s Day party wherever you go. But some places, from busy bars to quasi-private clubs to a farm market to a Harley dealership, are eager to celebrate with you, throwing parties you don’t have to start.
Here are all the invites I could bagpipe-and-drum up:
Friday, March 13
6 p.m. | Two Roads Brewing Company | St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations Kickoff. Enjoy a “traditional Irish pipes and drums” opener, live Celtic folk music by The Jolly Beggars, Irish step dancing by the Brennan-Lucey Irish Dance Academy, green beer, Irish-style stout and all-day food specials.
8 p.m. | Longley’s | St. Patrick’s Weekend Kickoff. Expect a “grab-a-drink, hit-the-floor, sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs kind of fun” during a “rock ’n’ roll dance party” powered by Pretty Nasty. “Wear your green and bring your crew.”
Saturday, March 14
9 a.m. | Twelve Percent Brewing | Irish Fest. This all-day event promises “live music, dancing, food, fun, friends, and plenty of delicious beer!” A regular ticket (as opposed to a discounted designated driver ticket) includes “your first beer and a souvenir glass.”
10 a.m. | Lyman Orchards | Shamrockin’ Family Fun. The pick-your-own fields won’t be open for a few months yet, but the orchards’ family-friendly farm market is open, offering holiday food specials (including green apple cider donuts), “hands-on activities for kids” and a ticketed shamrock cookie decorating workshop.
12 p.m. | Freedom Road Harley-Davidson | Saint Patrick’s Day Party. “Enjoy delicious corned beef sandwiches..., cold beer and drinks by Just 2 Gals Mobile Bartenders [and] fun games and prizes all afternoon!” Green attire encouraged.
2 p.m. | Two Roads Brewing Company | Post-Parade Party. This one follows Milford’s parade, not New Haven’s. Organizers promise “bagpipe-fronted renditions of your favorite hits” to go with themed beer and food specials.
Sunday, March 15
9 a.m. | The Trinity | Parade Day 2026. On the day of New Haven’s parade, the city’s premiere Irish pub opens early for breakfast, then shifts to lunch all day. At some point, Ian Biggs & The Ruckus will take the stage.
11 a.m. | Olives and Oil | Parade Day Party. Look for “three bars to keep the drinks flowing,” “DJs bringing the energy all day” and “drink and food specials you won’t want to miss.”
12 p.m. | Paradise Hills Vineyard | Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner. Actually, the dinner is just one optional facet of the vineyard’s celebrations. All day, staff “will be dressed as the coolest leprechauns around” while serving “green wine, green beer, and our popular green wine slushies.”
12 p.m. | Longley’s | Parade Day Party. Five miles east of the actual parade, expect “a classic St. Patrick’s good time” with “shoreline vibes,” themed lunch specials, “the perfect Guinness pour,” abundant parking and, at 3, live entertainment from singer Timmy Maia and his band.
2 p.m. | Port 5 | St. Patrick’s Day Bash. In this usually private clubhouse for the Bridgeport chapter of the National Association of Naval Veterans, the public is invited to enjoy live music from The Bad Saints, “Chef Kevin’s now famous corned beef” and “the cheapest drinks anywhere!!”
3 p.m. | Cafe Nine | Parade Day at Cafe Nine. Continuing with tradition, Irish ensemble A Drop of the Pure returns to perform “Irish folk songs, rebel songs, sea shanties [and] drinking songs.”
4 p.m. | The Playwright | Parade Day Party. In one of the area’s most authentic Irish pubs, expect Irish dancers, bagpipers and live music from Jeff Conlon and the Jolly Beggars.
Monday, March 16
6 p.m. | Italian American Club of East Haven | St. Patrick’s Day Dinner. A “traditional Irish feast” with all the fixin’s.
Tuesday, March 17 - St. Patrick’s Day
12 p.m. | Longley’s | THE St. Paddy’s Day Party. “If you follow the sound of clinking pints, roaring laughter, and a crowd that clearly called out of work the next day… you’ll end up at Longley’s.” Obviously trying not to oversell it, organizers add, “This isn’t just a St. Patrick’s Day celebration—this is THE St. Paddy’s Day Party.” The expectedly festive crowd is a big part of the draw, with live music from The Mediums starting at 4.
4 p.m. | Dockside Brewery | St. Patrick’s Day at Dockside. Expect “a full Irish-inspired menu, handcrafted cocktails, and our famous Boozy Shamrock Shake” all day, with Irish music from the (apparently mononymous) artist Aaron from 4 to 6 and a somehow overlapping performance by New Haven County Firefighters Emerald Society Pipes & Drums from 5 to 7.
6:30 p.m. | Best Video | Irish Music Party with Fáilte. “Enjoy a pint and a lively evening of Irish songs and dance tunes featuring fiddles, Irish blackwood flute, whistles, octave mandola, bodhran and banjo with the quartet Fáilte (Irish for ‘welcome’)—Jim Sirch, Willow Sirch, Gary Wikfors, and Adam Work… Come celebrate the day with an evening of memorable songs, haunting airs, and cheerful jigs and reels performed by these longtime musical friends.”
Written by Dan Mims. Video, featuring past revelers at The Trinity, taken by Rachel Crocker. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations, prices and other details before attending events.
