St. Patrick’s Day Events Happening this Weekend in Southeast Minnesota
St. Patrick's Day is coming up on Sunday! On a Sunday, I know, kind of lame. But all weekend there are St. Patrick's Day events going on around Southeast Minnesota.
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What is St. Patrick's Day All About?
St. Patrick's Day means everyone's wearing green, lots of green beer, 'Kiss Me I'm Irish' shirts, and if you're Irish, making sure everyone knows it.
It's a fun holiday! But why is it a thing? What was the purpose? Surely it wasn't to drink lots of green beer.
According to Britannica, St. Patrick's Day was a holiday that originated in Ireland (shocker) to celebrate the patron Saint of Ireland.
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St. Patrick was born in the 4th century in Roman Britain. Britannica says that when he was 16 he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave. Eventually he escaped but years later came back to convert the Irish to Christianity.
"By the time of his death on March 17, 461, he had established monasteries, churches, and schools." So the holiday was originally celebrated through religious services and feasts. Some places still celebrate in that way, as you can see above.
Legends About St. Patrick
Because of St. Patrick's prevalence in Irish history, of course, there are some legends out there about him. One of them is that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. The other is that he used a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity.
St. Patrick's Day Today
Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated very differently. Many people use it as a day to be proud of their Irish heritage, others use it as an excuse to drink lots of green beer and eat too much corned beef.
St. Patrick's Day Events in Southeast Minnesota
If you're looking for a way to celebrate St. Paddy's Day this weekend, there are some fun events going on.
Karst Brewing in Fountain is hosting a party on Saturday from 6-9 PM. There will be live music, Irish food, and plenty of green beer.
A lot of restaurants around Rochester will be having a special St. Patrick's Day menu/meal. For example, Five West will have drink specials and Irish food specials on Sunday.
Olde Brick House, the Irish Pub downtown, will have a special St. Paddy's Day menu. That will be on Saturday and Sunday.
Both Whistle Binkies locations have specials as well on Saturday and Sunday.
Kathy's Pub downtown will have drink specials on Saturday night.
And, of course, it wouldn't be St. Patrick's Day in Rochester without the Rochester Caledonian Pipe Band! They'll be performing all over Rochester all day on Sunday.
Their stops are:
11:30 AM - Rochester VFW
12:15 PM - Beetles
1:00 PM - Pappy's
1:45 PM - Wildwood
2:30 PM - Forager
3:15 PM - Charlies Pub
4:00 PM - Whistle Binkies North
6:00 PM - Five West
6:45 PM - Workshop Food Hall
7:30 PM - Eagles Club
8:15 PM - American Legion
9:00 PM - Whistle Binkies on the Lake
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