Niagara-on-the-Lake embraced the luck of the Irish this week as local hotspots hosted packed St. Patrick’s Day events.
The Sandtrap Pub & Grill celebrated Monday with sold-out festivities. Co-owner Paul Dietsch called it “one of the busiest single-day events” of the year.
The pub served plates of Irish stew and corned beef and “lots of Guinness” while Barley Brae’s performed live to a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd from 4 to 8 p.m.
“There wasn’t a chair left — people were sitting on top of each other, and there were smiles all around,” said Dietsch.
The Irish Harp Pub celebrated with giveaways and a prize wheel as part of its 12-day festival that drew in a full crowd starting at 10 a.m.
The Business of the Year award-winning pub had to impose a three-hour table limit to accommodate the high demand.
Co-owners Jovie Joki and Jeremy Buckland were at the prize table in front of the pub, where all guests and passersby were free to spin the wheel to win St. Patrick’s Day attire.
“We did the 12 Days of Paddy’s again this year, including a draw where you could win a trip to Ireland, plus a lot of other fun gifts as our little way of giving back to the community,” said Joki.
The pub sponsored the 25th-anniversary Rhythm of the Dance last Sunday at the First Ontario Performance Arts Centre, featuring signature Irish dances and Celtic music.
“That event was great, it was a packed performance,” said Buckland.
The pub’s 12-day lineup featured musical acts including: Paddyman, The Danny Boys, The Feverish Lemons, Kayar, The O’Deadlys, The Other Band, Pat Matthews Duo, Moonlight Co., and Fiddlin’ Around.
Kilrish Triple Distilled and the pub’s house band Patsy & the Muscle performed last Monday.
Over at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 124, members of the community came out to enjoy the legion’s annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner.
For $25 per person, over 70 guests dined on corned beef, cabbage and bread pudding starting at 5 p.m., while guitarist and multi-instrumentalist John Claus performed.
“He’s always a great show,” said branch president Allen Howse.
The dinner, a six-year tradition, required weeks of preparation by loyal volunteers and Howse believes they’ve perfected the event.
Howse spoke about the Legion’s plans going forward during the dinner.
“We’ve had some passionate discussions over the past couple of months about what we’re going to do, looking at our future needs, and we’re still working at that,” said Howse.
Renovation plans are still in their early stages, with no dedicated fundraising events planned yet.
“We want to upgrade the look and the comfort of our clubhouse and the hall upstairs as well,” said Howse.
Members will elect a new executive on April 23, transitioning leadership on June 1. Howse will be running for president of Legion Branch 124 again.
“We’re working to ensure this space serves Niagara-on-the-Lake for years to come,” said Howse.
