Break out the green and start looking for shamrocks - St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner.
While concerns over the continued spread of coronavirus or COVID-19 have caused Ireland and some U.S. cities, including New York City, Boston and Chicago, to cancel planned St. Patrick's Day festivities, Mid-Missouri is moving forward with several opportunities to show your Irish side. (It's worth noting all of the U.S. cities that have announced cancellations have reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 in their communities. There has yet to be a confirmed case in Mid-Missouri as of Wednesday afternoon.)
Check out some of the St. Patrick's Day events planned in Mid-Missouri. (And please note this is not a comprehensive list of all St. Patrick's Day events. Feel free to add yours to our community calendar at newstribune.com/go.)
Jefferson City
The YMCA's Luck of the Irish 5K Walk/Run and 10K Run has been postponed. The organization posted on Facebook on Thursday afternoon the decision to postpone "in order to protect the health and welfare of all involved." The event will be rescheduled at a later date.
On Saturday afternoon, head over to Paddy Malone's Pub at 700 W. Main St. for the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. Line-up will begin at 1:30 p.m., with the parade kicking off at 2 p.m. This typically small, but very enthusiastic parade will march east on West Main, turning south on Broadway before heading east on High. After a turn north on Madison, the parade will march west on East Capitol to head back to the pub.
That night, Spectators, 232 E. High St., will host a St. Patty's Weekend Bash with Dope Ass Sneakers starting at 9 p.m. Saturday.
And on the day itself, the Women's Council of Realtors will host a St. Patrick's Day Party from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday at The Side Bar at Prison Brews, 303 Ash St. The event will include food, drinks, games, prizes and a dessert auction. Tickets are $20.
Mid-Missouri
On Friday, head up to Columbia to check out The Kay Brothers at the St. Paddy's Bash at The Blue Note. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m. for this event that features traditional Irish, plus gypsy and bluegrass, music, as well as Irish whiskey and "craic," a popular term for fun and entertainment in Ireland. Tickets are $8 for general admission, $10 for reserved seating in the balcony and $25 for a reserved table in the balcony.
Lake Ozark has canceled its St. Patricks's Day Parade, originally set for 1 p.m. Saturday on the Bagnell Dam Strip.
On Sunday, check out the St. Pats Hot Rod Show & Cruise-In 2020 at Ice Cream 4 Ice Cream LLC in Eugene. This first-time event is set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature a variety of food vendors serving up fare including Polynesian and Mexican food, cotton candy and kettle corn, as well as the standard Central Dairy ice cream the shop offers. A DJ will be on site and all hot rods, rat rods and motorcycles are welcome with a $5 entry fee. Those entered will have a picture of their vehicle posted on the shop's Facebook page and the social media followers will vote for the winner, who will receive 3 gallons of Central Dairy ice cream and a plaque.
So get into the Irish spirit and celebrate St. Patrick's Day!