Ten Best Places to Start Celebrating St. Patrick's Day in Denver This Weekend

St. Patrick's Day is still a week away, but this weekend Denver will be going green — and for once we're not talking about weed. The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will be held downtown starting at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 12, which means you can expect to see plenty of green beer, corned beef, Irish whiskey and amateur drinkers around the Mile High City. Here are our picks for the ten best places to drink and dine in the week leading up to St. Patrick's Day, presented in alphabetical order.

Clancy's Irish Pub
March 12, 17 and 18
7000 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge
Clancy's has been celebrating St. Patrick's Day since 1973, and will go green starting on Saturday, March 12, with plenty of Irish fun. But the fun gets really big on St. Patrick's Day, when Clancy's will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. and feature Wild Mountain Music with members of the Indulgers. Find out more at iloveclancys.com.
 
Fadó Irish Pub
March 11, 12 and 17 
1735 19th Street
Every year Fadó puts on one of the largest St. Paddy's Day parties in Denver, and this year is no exception. The festivities kick off on Friday, March 11, with a St. Baldrick's head-shaving event from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Learn more about how you can help St. Baldrick's fight children's cancer here. ) On Saturday, March 12, the main event will have the pub rocking and the drinks flowing as revelers enjoy ten hours of bands, DJs, Irish dancers, food trucks and more; be sure to pace yourself.  As usual, the bar will have tents set up in the plaza across from Coors Field so that party-goers can celebrate in a little fresh air. Doors open at 6 a.m., but the block party doesn't get under way until 10 a.m; tickets are $20 and can be bought at the door or in advance here. Of course, Fadó will also be celebrating on March 17, the real St. Paddy's Day. Check out the full lineup of events, get tickets and learn more at fadoirishpub.com.

Hard Rock Cafe  
March-April 10 
500 16th Street 
The Hard Rock Cafe has teamed up with Guinness for a seasonal burger-and-beer pairing that will be available through April 10. The Guinness & Jameson Bacon Cheeseburger, paired with a Guinness draught, is a half-pound certified Angus beef patty topped with Jameson-bacon jam, garlic aioli and Guinness cheese sauce. For a limited time, the cafe is also featuring a new Jameson Irish Mule cocktail. For more information, contact the restaurant at 303-623-3191.

Interstate
March 12-17
1001 Santa Fe Drive
Fuel up before the rest of your St. Patrick's Day festivities at Interstate. From Saturday, March 12, through Thursday, March 17, it's offering a corned beef and cabbage entree for $16, as well as Jamos for $4, Guiness cans for $4 and car bombs for $5.
Irish Snug
March 11, 12, 13 and 17
1201 East Colfax Avenue 
The Irish Snug has Colfax covered all weekend long, and on St. Patrick's Day as well, with a full schedule of events. Starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 11, and running through Sunday afternoon, the Snug will hold its annual Capitol Hill Hooley, an event packed full with Irish dancers, live musical performances, a magic show and even balloon twisting for the kids. On St. Paddy's Day, the festivities will start at 1:30 p.m. For the full schedule of events, visit irishsnug.com.    

Keep reading for five more places to start celebrating St. Patrick's Day this weekend.
Joule
March 12
1000 Speer Boulevard 
Although the St. Paddy's Day Charity Brunch at Joule may not be brimming with Irish kitsch, it certainly has heart. For $30, guests can indulge in brunch provided by the Delectable Egg, as well as unlimited mimosas and Bloody Marys provided by Hazel's Beverage World. For an additional $20, you can take a swing at winning the golf-simulator tournament and some awesome prizes. All proceeds from the event will benefit Make-a-Wish  Colorado. Get tickets and learn more here.   

McLoughlin's
March 11, 12 and 17
2100 16th Street
McLoughlin's will host a variety of Irish entertainment on Friday, March 11, and Saturday, March 12, as well as on St. Patrick's Day. The restaurant will set the stage for Irish drumming, dancing and live musical performances; of course, there will be plenty of Guinness on hand. Check out the full lineup of entertainment at mcloughlins.us.    

Slattery's
5364 Greenwood Village Plaza, Greenwood Village
March 12, 17
Slattery's will have a tent set up on both Saturday, March 12, and Thursday, March 17, and will fill it with entertainment — live music, step dancing and bagpipers — from noon to 11 p.m. both days. Find out more at slatteryspublichouse.net.

Thirsty Lion
March 12 and 17-19
1605 Wynkoop Street
St. Baldrick's has been making the rounds this week, stopping at several Denver hot spots and shaving heads along the way to help fight children's cancer. This Saturday, March 12, the charity will be at the Thirsty Lion from 1 to 5 p.m.; you can find out more and make donations here.  The pub is also serving up a menu of Irish food and drinks through March 19, including a lamb burger, potato cakes, reuben pizza, bread pudding and more. And on Thursday, March 17, through Saturday, March 19, the gastropub will host a St. Paddy's Day Weekend Festival that will highlight its handcrafted Irish menu, Irish cocktails and specialty beer flights. Get all the details at thirstyliongastropub.com.    

ViewHouse 
March 11, 12 and 17 
2015 Market Street
The ViewHouse in the Ballpark neighborhood will be celebrating the restaurant and bar's four-year anniversary weekend as well as St. Paddy's with a weekend full of live Irish music, Irish dancers, DJs, giveaways, Irish food and drink specials and more. Check out viewhouse.com for all the details. 

After this weekend, we'll update our St. Patrick's Day list with next week's events; if you know of an event that should be listed, send it to [email protected]. For more Food & Drink events, go to our online calendar.