Springfield’s center city is going green for St. Patrick’s Day, with a full schedule of events set for Friday, March 15 through Sunday, March 17.
There are races for runners of all skills in downtown and special shopping opportunities on Historic Commercial Street, along with a parade and pub crawl. Here’s a rundown of events.
Historic C-Street St. Patrick’s Weekend Celebration
You don’t have to wait until March 17 to chase a pot of gold. Take part in a special Punchcard Stroll starting Friday, March 15, and you could win some fabulous prizes.
Look for the shamrocks to find participating businesses. There you can pick up your free punch card. Get stamps from five different businesses March 15-17 and drop your card into one of the “lucky pots” — located at Big Momma’s Coffee & Espresso Bar, Cymphony’s, Eurasia Coffee Co., Lindberg’s Tavern, Springfield Mercantile and White River Brewing Company — to enter.
C-Street merchants have donated more than $1,000 worth of gift cards and prizes. They include a one-night stay at Culture Boutique Hotel and gift cards from businesses like Big Momma’s Coffee & Espresso Bar, Blue Heron Farm & Bakery, Cafe Basilico, Cafe Cusco, Coven Collective, La Habana Vieja, Ms. Gilmore’s Tea Room and Boutique, Pizza House, Springfield Mercantile, Van Gogh’s Eeterie and White River Brewing Company. Winners will be drawn Wednesday, March 20.
Fleet Feet Shamrock Shuffle
The festivities get started early — and we do mean very early — with the Fleet Feet Shamrock Shuffle. The running, jogging and walking start at 8 a.m. March 16 on Park Central Square. There are three races planned: a 5K, a 15K and a beer mile.
True to its name, that third race is one mile long and runners must drink one full beer before running each quarter mile. That means four beers in total. Organizers are offering beer mile awards to the top-finishing male and female competitors.
Awards will also be given out in eight different age categories for the 5K and 15K. All runners get a commemorative shirt and two free beers. Runners in the 15K also get a medal. Registration is available online. It’s $45 for the 5K, $65 for the 15K and $35 for the Beer Mile.
41st Annual Springfield St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Also known as “the people’s parade,” the 41st Annual Springfield St. Patrick’s Day Parade will march from Historic C-Street to downtown at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 16, led by grand marshal Larry Askren, an artist and volunteer for organizations including the Downtown Springfield Association and Sculpture Walk Springfield.
It will feature appearances from Princesses of the 417, Ozark Mountain Parrot Heads and 417 Pedal Tours. You can find the parade route on the Downtown Springfield Association’s website.
Arrive early and you can enjoy a beer garden on Park Central Square from noon-6 p.m., featuring live music from Queen City Shout artists Devlin Pierce, Part Time Travelers and Eddie Gumucio and the Electrics. Bring your appetite. Chop Shop Burger, Fizz Sips and Sweets, Tinga Tacos and Wonky Waffle will be set up on the square.
Festivities downtown also include the Zoomin Groomin Irish Pet Contest. Registration is open from 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. At 1 p.m., the well-dressed pets will parade around the square for voting by the public.
St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl
If you want to celebrate all night, grab a wristband for the St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl. The event follows the parade.
There are 10 bars participating in this year’s crawl: Best of Luck Beer Hall, Big Whiskey’s, Bigg Time Arcade, Civil Kitchen, Dublin’s Pass, Finnegan’s Wake, Hour House, Shot Shack, Tropical Liqueurs and The Vault. Wristbands are $10 and are available in advance at Stick It In Your Ear and Discount Smokes and Beer.
