St. Patrick’s Day Toledo-area activity guide
Written by Sarah Ottney | Managing Editor | sottney@toledofreepress.comBlarney to host two-day St. Patrick’s tent event
The Blarney Irish Pub is the spot to be for the most happening St. Patrick’s Day party in town, pub employees say.
“We have the best food, the best music and the best location. We have the biggest party. We have the most fun,” said bartender Beth Golday.
The two-day Blarney Madness party expands on the restaurant’s usual pub space and adjacent BullPen to include a large tent on Huron Street.
The fun starts at 6 p.m. March 16 and runs until 2 a.m. March 18. The pop-rock band The Bridges headlines at 8 p.m. March 16. Dragon Wagon plays at 1 p.m. March 17, followed by Bangers & Thrash at 6 p.m. and Skoobie Snaks at 8:30 p.m. DJ Kyle Rickner will play between sets both days.
Bonnie Cosey and Fred Belintkos with Lauren at The Blarney.
The weekend includes other highlights like an ice luge for shots, bagpipers at 7 a.m. March 17 and firefighters in kilts.
The party benefits Toledo and Sylvania local firefighters charities. The Blarney frequently works with firefighters, Golday said.
“They’re always helping others and risking their lives for other people,” she said.
A portion of the proceeds also benefits the Ancient Order of Hibernians, an Irish-American Catholic organization.
A $15 shirt will be on sale at The Blarney. By wearing the shirt, customers can get free entry March 17 and 10 percent off their bills during March.
A Jiggs Dinner with corned beef, potatoes, carrots and celery will be on sale for $9 in the BullPen in addition to a corned beef sandwich and chips for $7, bangers and chips for $6 and a half pound of Blarney Stones (chicken chunks) for $6.
A breakfast of eggs, Irish bacon, potato pancakes and soda bread is available in the pub starting at 7 a.m. March 17 for $7. And, of course, several Irish beers will be available, including Guinness, Killian’s and Great Lakes Conway’s Irish Ale.
Entry is $5. The Blarney is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. March 16 and from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. March 17. The tent is open from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. March 16 and noon to 1 a.m. March 17.
The Blarney is located at 601 Monroe St., Downtown Toledo. Toledo Free Press is a media sponsor of this event. Visit theblarneyirishpub.com for more information.
— Brigitta Burks
Claddagh’s Got Talent contest kicks off March 15
Claddagh Irish Pub will kick off a 10-week Claddagh’s Got Talent singing contest at 9 p.m. March 15.
Each week for nine weeks, 10 local singers or bands will perform at the Irish eatery at Westfield Franklin Park, 5001 Monroe St., before three judges. On the 10th week — May 31 — the nine winners will compete in a final round to determine the winner of the $5,000 grand prize.
Judges will include Claddagh general manager JaNeil Mesteller and Chris Hunt, who regularly MCs Claddagh pub trivia contests and other events. The third judge will rotate weekly among local celebrities.
Claddagh Irish Pub bartenders Kevin Powers, left, and Jake Bell with Jocelyn.
“Audience involvement is part of the judging, so the more people you bring with you to root you on, the better your chances to get through,” Mesteller said.
Entry is free and first come, first serve. Entrants can be solo singers or bands of up to three people. Participants must be 21 or older and must provide a photo ID, fill out an entry form and sign a copy of the rules to be eligible. Performances must be in good taste, and music must be submitted for approval before competing. The first week is full, Mesteller said.
“We want this to be a fun, true festival, where people are enjoying themselves,” Mesteller said. “We’ve never done anything like this with such a big purse at the end. It’s a pretty significant amount and it could really help out a person with recording or equipment. Toledo in general has so much talent it’s ridiculous. For such a small town, we really have a great market to pull from. It’s nice to have local people get a piece of the pie.”
For more information or to sign up to participate, call Claddagh at (419) 472-1414.
— Sarah Ottney
Companies offer safe rides home
Remember to stay safe this St. Patrick’s Day. Area driving and cab services are available to make sure it’s easy for you and your friends to get home after going out to celebrate.
Granger’s Automotive, 329 1st St., in Toledo will take you and your vehicle home for $20 on March 16 and March 17 before 3:30 a.m. Call (419) 691-2962 for more information.
Locally owned Black & White Transportation offers a free application that can calculate your blood alcohol content and book you a cab ride home 24 hours a day. The app, B4UDRIVE, is exclusive to iPhone, BlackBerry and Droid, but the company’s mobile online reservation system is accessible by any Web-enabled phone.
You can also text the word “RIDE” to (419) 322-6772 or call the company at (419) 536-TAXI (8294). Cabs are first come, first serve, so there may be a wait. Rates are $2 to get in and $2.30 per mile.
If you know you will need a ride for St. Patrick’s Day, you can also book a sedan. The car service costs $60 per hour for a minimum of five hours.
For more information, visit www.blackwhitecab.com.
Another company, BeMyDD, offers a professionally dressed designated driver at an hourly rate. The driver will act as a personal chaufer, driving you and your friends where you want to go and then driving you home. The personal driver service costs $12.50 per hour in the Toledo area, according to BeMyDD’s website.
You can also call after you are already out and BeMyDD will send two drivers to drive you and your vehicle home. In the Toledo area, pickup service costs $25 plus mileage, which is $2.95 per mile for the first 10 miles and $1.50 per mile for each additional mile.
The service is available 24 hours a day, but reservations must be placed by 11 p.m. by calling 877-823-6933 (877-U-BEMYDD). For St. Patrick’s Day, advanced reservations are strongly suggested. For more information, visit www.bemydd.com.
— Sarah Ottney
Irish eyes turn to local festivities
Dressed in our greenest finery, Toledo Free Press Star fashion columnist Lauren O’Neill, Face of FOX Toledo Jocelyn Cruz and I hit the town for a pre-St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl to find out what Toledo has to offer for the upcoming holiday.
Along the way, we met with fellow Toledoans as well as some visiting out-of-towners, including a Marine on leave from Camp Lejeune and a Cleveland-area bowling team in town for a tournament, all enjoying food, drinks and live music at local bars. We also hung out with members of The Steve Mullan Band, Kentucky Chrome and Toast & Jam.
With a name like O’Neill, you know Lauren is Irish, but you might be surprised to learn Cruz, of Puerto Rican heritage, is 10 percent Irish. Not that it matters —
everyone is Irish on March 17!
Below is a list of area St. Patrick’s Day parties, music, food and drink specials to point you to the location that best draws out your inner Irish. Slàinte!
— Sarah Ottney
Arnie’s
3332 W. Central Ave., (419) 517-6037
Open: 6 a.m.-2 a.m.
Food: Kegs and Eggs
Drinks: Ice luges, dollar power hour, 50-cent power hour
Music: Live bands and DJs
Leprechaun and magician
Dennis Kreuz, left, and Tommy Hutt cut loose with Jocelyn at The Bunker.
Bar 145
5305 Monroe St., (419) 593-0073
Open: 7 a.m.-2 a.m.
Food: Irish breakfast (until 11 a.m.), Jiggs Dinner
Drinks: Irish car bomb specials, Guinness, Killian’s, Great Lakes Conway’s Irish Ale
Music: 2-6 p.m.: Mike “Mad Dog” Adams; 10 p.m.: Fibbion Handful
Cover: $5 for in and out all day (starting 1 p.m.), 21 and older
BigZ Bar and Grill / 32 Degrees
2600 W. Sylvania Ave., (419) 720-9090
Open: 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
Food: $7.99 Jiggs Dinner
Drinks: $4 Irish car bombs, $3 Baby Guinness shots, $3 Killian’s Draft (you keep glass), $2 16-ounce Budweiser, $2 lemon drops
Joint party with new bar 32 Degrees (5122 Heath- erdowns Blvd.), featuring shuttle between locations, live DJs and covered patios at both locations and broadcast live on 100.7 The Vibe.
The Blarney Irish Pub
601 Monroe St., (419) 418-2339
Open: Two-day Blarney Madness: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. March 16; 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. March 17
Food: $7 breakfast (eggs, Irish bacon, potato pancakes, soda bread), $9 Jiggs Dinner, $7 corned beef sandwich and chips, $6 bangers and chips, $6 half pound Blarney Stones (chicken chunks)
Drinks: Ice luge for shots plus 19 beers on tap, including Guinness, Killian’s, Great Lakes Conway’s Irish Ale, Harp, Smithwick’s.
Music: March 16: 8 p.m.: The Bridges. March 17: 7 a.m.: bagpipers; 1-4 p.m.: Dragon Wagon; 6-8 p.m. Bangers & Thrash; 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Skoobie Snaks. DJ Kyle Rickner will play between sets.
Cost: $5 cover to benefit Toledo/Sylvania Firefighters Local Charities and Ancient Order of Hibernians
Heated tent on Huron Street (starting 6 p.m. March 16 and noon March 17)
Firefighters in kilts
Bobby V’s American Grill
Lauren with Doc Watson’s employees Joy Billmaier, center, and Carey Parker.
8165 Airport Hwy., (419) 491-1795
Open: 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
Food: Kegs and eggs until 11:30 a.m., then Jiggs Dinner
Drinks: $1 green beer and Killian’s until 9:30 a.m., then $2 rest of the day. Also Guinness, Jameson.
Entertainment: Leprechaun
Caper’s Restaurant and Bar
2038 S. Byrne Road, (419) 389-9900
Open: 11 a.m.-midnight
Food: Jiggs Dinner, $9.99
Drinks: Irish car bombs, Guinness, Great Lakes Conway’s Irish Ale, $3 16-ounce aluminum Bud Light and Miller Lite
Prizes and gift card for craziest outfit
Chucks on Monroe
4477 Monroe St., (419) 720-3370
Open: 8 a.m.-2:30 a.m.
Food: $6.95 eggs and hash breakfast (until 11 a.m.), $8.95 Jiggs Dinner (11 a.m.-12:30 a.m.)
Drinks: Green beer, Guinness, $3.50 Irish car bomb station, $1.50 green Coors Light draft, $2 cherry/grape bombs (until 9 p.m., $3 after 9 p.m.),
happy hour until 9 p.m. ($1 off drinks)
Music: 6 p.m.: DJ Todd Delicious
Claddagh Irish Pub
5001 Monroe St., (419) 472-1414
Open: 7 a.m.-2 a.m.
Food: Irish menu (until midnight)
Drinks: Guinness, Killian’s, bomb specials, draft specials, jello shots, aluminum bottle specials Music: Two stages: Noon: DJ, 2 p.m.: The Steve Mullan Band, 5 p.m.: Road Kilt, 9 p.m.: The Bridges.
Plus, 3,000-square-foot heated tent (starting 10 a.m.), Irish dancers, bagpipers, promo girls and giveaways
Cover: $10 (starting at 3 p.m.), or $20 VIP passes (no lines, T-shirt, beads, coupons, $5 off Claddagh’s Irish Carvery Sunday Brunch on March 18). 21 and older only after 3 p.m.
Doc Watson’s
1515 S. Byrne Road, (419) 389-6003
Open: 5:30 a.m.-2:30 a.m.
Food: Breakfast (green eggs and ham); Jiggs Dinner with authentic Irish soda bread
Drinks: Green beer, Irish drink specials, green jello shots, Killian’s (beer of month), Guinness, Smithwick’s, Great Lakes Conway’s Irish Ale, Harpoon Celtic Ale, Magners Irish Cider
Music: 12:30-2:30 p.m.: Jeff Stewart; 3:30-5:30 p.m.: Meaghan Roberts; 6:30-8:30 p.m.: DJ Chris; 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: DFR
Giveaways all day (hats, shirts, necklaces)
Megan O’Hearn, left, and Julia Bonk with Lauren at Doc Watson’s.
Cover: $1-3 (starts at 12:30 p.m.)
Four Horsemen
4452 Lewis Ave., (419) 476-3900
Open: 9 a.m.-2:30 a.m. (Specials also apply March 14 and 16.)
Food: $8.75 Jiggs Dinner, $7.50 corned beef sandwiches (dine in or carry-out).
Drinks: $1 Green Demon shot, Irish car bombs, Guinness, Killian’s, beer specials
Delaney’s Lounge
309 W. Alexis Road, (419) 476-2883
Open: 9 a.m.-2:30 a.m.
Food: Corned beef sandwiches
Drinks: Jello shots, green beer, Guinness, Killian’s, kamikaze tooters
Music: DJs all day including Mark Sheppard.
Raffles, giveaways, “I survived St. Patrick’s Day” T-shirts ($12-$15)
Manhattan’s
1516 Adams St., (419) 243-6675
Open: 11 a.m.-1 a.m.
Food: Jiggs Dinner, fish and chips, Irish stew
ODrinks: $5 Irish car bombs, $4 Jameson, $3 Feckin’ Irish whiskey, green beer, Guinness, Killian’s, Harp
Music: 9 p.m.: Raq the Casba
Mickey Finn’s Pub
602 Lagrange St., (419) 246-3466
Open: 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m.
Food: $10 Jiggs Dinner, $5 corned beef sandwich and chips
Drinks: Irish car bombs, Guinness, Killian’s, Harp, all Irish whiskeys
Jocelyn Cruz
Music: 4:30-6:30 p.m.: Paddy Murphy, Don Binkley, Bobby May; 7-9 p.m.: Minglewood Labor Camp; 9:30-11 p.m.: The Swamp People; 11:30 p.m.-close: Decent Folk. Plus bagpipers.
M.T. Loonies
6648 Lewis Ave., Temperance, (734) 847-7222
Open: 9 a.m.-2 a.m.
Food: $12 Jiggs Dinner (8 ounces unsliced corned beef, potatoes, carrots, cabbage), $8 corned beef sandwiches (to-go orders taken until 8 p.m.)
Drinks: Green beer, Irish shots, Irish margaritas, 20-ounce Guinness, Killian’s, Irish car bombs
Music: Irish drinking music played all day. 7:30 p.m.: DJ Smoot.
Free beads, Irish dancers (4:30 p.m.)
Mulvaney’s Bunker Irish Pub
4945 Dorr St., 419-534-9830
Open: 9 a.m.-2:30 a.m.
Food: $7.95 breakfast brunch buffet, Jiggs Dinner, various Irish food and appetizers
Drinks: Green beer, green shots, $4 Bloody Mary bar, homemade pudding shots, Guinness, Smithwick’s, Great Lakes Conway Irish Ale, 26 beers on tap
Music: Noon-4 p.m.: Kyle White; 5-9 p.m.: Breaking Ground; 9 p.m.-2 a.m.: DJ Exel (with light show and video).
Tent in patio. Three bars. Promo girls throughout day. Cash prizes for best-dressed Mr. and Mrs. St. Patty’s Day (7 p.m.)
Cover: $5 starting at noon
Pat & Dandy’s Sports Bar and Grill
3340 W. Laskey Road. (419) 474-1189
Open: 10 a.m.-2:30 a.m.
Food: $8.95 Jiggs Dinner, $6.95 corned beef on rye with swiss, $6.75 leprechaun stew (chicken stew) in sourdough bread bowl
Drinks: $1 10-ounce green beer, Guinness, Killian’s, Irish car bombs, Jameson shots
Music: 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.: Streetwize
Quimby’s At The Park
25 S. Huron St., (419) 244-7222
Open: Noon-2:30 a.m.
Food: Rueben special
Drinks: Guinness, Killian’s, Irish car bombs
Music: 9 p.m.: Man Down and DJ E.
Official Glass City Rollers afterparty
Shawn’s Irish Tavern
Grand Opening of new location on St. Patrick’s Day: 7436 Bancroft St. (at King Road), Sylvania, (419) 724-7981; plus, 4400 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo, 419-381-1281; and 105 S. Third St., Waterville, (419) 441-1081
Open: 10 a.m.-2 a.m.
Food: $8 Jiggs Dinner, $6.75 hot shredded beef sandwiches, $6.75 corned beef sandwiches
Drinks: Beer specials all day, green beer, Irish car bombs, Guinness, Killian’s
Music: 9 p.m.: The Villains (Waterville), 9 p.m.: Johnny Rodriguez (Toledo)
Swig
219 Louisiana Ave., Perrysburg, (419) 873-6224
Open: 6 a.m.-2 a.m.
Food: Irish breakfast, Jiggs Dinner, Guinness-braised lamb shanks, bangers and mash
Drinks: Irish whiskeys and Irish craft beers, including Three Flloyds, Great Lakes and Dark Horse
Music: Noon-3 p.m.: Old State Line; 4-7 p.m.: Jeff Stewart; 8-midnight: Local Delivery.
Heated tent on patio
Trotters Tavern
5131 Heatherdowns Blvd., 419-381-2079
Open: 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m.
Food: $10.99 Jiggs Dinner, $10.99 bangers and mash, $7.99 corned beef sandwich, $10.99 combo plate
Drinks: Green beer, Guinness ice cream float, mini Guinie, Irish car bombs, Irish shots, Irish whiskeys including Feckin Irish Whiskey, Tullamore Dew, Michael Collins, Powers, Celtic Crossing, Bushmills Irish Honey
Music: 4:30-7:30 p.m.: Chris Brown and Candice Coleman; 9 p.m.-1 a.m.: Nine Lives
Village Inn
4984 N. Holland-Sylvania Road,
(419) 882-0338
Open: 7 a.m.-2:30 a.m.
Food: $7.99 Jiggs Dinner
Drinks: Green beer, Guinness, Killian’s, Great Lakes Conway’s Irish Ale, Dundee Irish Red Lager, Great Black Swamp Mosquito Red Ale, mini-Guinie shots. Happy Hour (7-11 a.m., 4-7 p.m.): $1.75 Bud Light/Miller Lite/Labatt/Yuengling Light
Music: 7-11 p.m.: Watson Street Loft
Yeeha’s Buckin’ Bar and Grill
3150 Navarre Ave., Oregon, 419-691-8880
Open: 9 a.m.-2:30 a.m.
Food: Kegs and Eggs, Jiggs Dinner (starting at noon)
Drinks: Green beer, $3 Irish car bombs
Music: 3 p.m.: Big Ticket; 9 pm.: Brave Youngster
Tags: Ancient Order of Hibernians, Arnie's, Bar 145, BeMyDD, BigZ Bar and Grill, Blarney Bullpen, Blarney Irish Pub, Bobby V’s American Grill, Caper’s Restaurant and Bar, Chucks on Monroe, Claddagh Irish Pub, Delaney's Lounge, Doc Watson's, Face of FOX Toledo, Four Horsemen, Glass City Rollers, Granger’s Automotive, Guinness, Jiggs Dinner, Jocelyn Cruz, Lauren O’Neill, M.T. Loonies, Manhattan's, Mickey Finn's Pub, Mulvaney’s Bunker Irish Pub, Pat & Dandy’s Sports Bar and Grill, Quimby’s At The Park, Shawn’s Irish Tavern, St. Patrick's Day, Swig, Trotters Tavern, Village Inn, Yeeha’s Buckin’ Bar and Grill
