Yes, St. Patrick’s Day started out as a religious holiday; but the only praying a lot of people will be doing on Tuesday, March 17 is in front of the porcelain god after too many pints of Guinness. There are certainly some good options for binge drinking this week (including a pair of pub crawls), but there are also some other ways to celebrate the holiday—for example: running in a St. Patty’s Day-themed half-marathon, listening to Irish music, and joining thousands in the streets for a parade.
Let’s begin with a breakdown of the pub crawls: The first one is hosted by the 5hundy Social Club (free, 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, starting at the Zebra Club, 1900 P Street; www.5hundy.net). It hits a new spot every half hour—including Pour House, Alley Katz and the Golden Bear—before arriving at the Pine Cove Tavern at 11 p.m. The second crawl, the first-ever Off The Chain St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl ($45, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17; http://sactownbikebus.com), is run by Off the Chain Bike Bus Tours, stops at three to-be-determined pubs, and includes drinks.
Two good options if you want to stand on your feet and spectate—or even go for a run—are: the Old Sacramento Business Association’s 19th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and Fleet Feet Sports’ Shamrock’n Half Marathon. The parade (Free, 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2nd and L streets in Old Sacramento; http://oldsacramento.com/special-events/st-patricks-day-parade) features hundreds of marches, dancers, bagpipes, drum bands and more. The Shamrock’n Half Marathon takes place over two days, with a 5K and kids run on Saturday, March 14, and the half-marathon on Sunday, March 15. Head to www.shamrocknhalf.com for specific event times, prices and more information.
Finally, for some traditional Irish dance and music, head to the Harris Center in Folsom (10 College Parkway, www.harriscenter.com) for the Trinity Irish Dancers ($20-$49, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, March 13) and An Irish Hooley ($12-$39, 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 15). The former is a progressive Irish dance troupe and the latter features Irish band Slugger O’Toole joined by the Kerry Dance Troupe.
—Jonathan Mendick
Weekly picks below
Brazilian Carnaval
Friday, March 13
At the third annual Brazilian Carnaval in Clarksburg, attendees will rock to the Afro-Brazilian percussion-driven sounds of SambaDa. San Diego-based Super Sonic Samba School dancers will samba with funk, reggae and Rio influences. Brazilian and Argentinian food, accompanied by Brazil’s national cocktail, the caipirinha, will be available. Arrive on time for free samba lessons. $15-$20, 6 p.m. at the Old Sugar Mill, 35265 Willow Avenue in Clarksburg; www.oldsugarmill.com.
—Trina L. Drotar
Paula Poundstone
Friday, March 13
Quick witted, spontaneous, and with a brilliant sense of comedic timing, veteran comedian Paula Poundstone returns to Sacramento to make Friday the 13th a laughing matter. Typically sporting a baggy suit, garish tie, and big smile, Poundstone is adept at presenting her worldview in a manner that we wish we could enunciate. She’s also a regular on NPR’s hit weekly game show Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! $29.50-$52, 7:30 p.m. at the Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street; www.paulapoundstone.com.
—Alan Sheckter
Spooky Booty Bikini Battle
Friday, March 13
Knowing film production company Trash Film Orgy, when it announces a bikini contest as a fundraiser for its upcoming film Badass Monster Killer, everyone knows it’s going to be a little different than a Victoria Secret fashion show. Indeed, it’s called a Spooky Booty Bikini Battle and it’s hosted by Bloody Bunny, so it’s sure to be an outrageous event full of camp, comedy and burlesque. $10, 9 p.m. at On the Y, 670 Fulton Avenue; www.trashfilmorgy.com.
—Aaron Carnes
Family Concert Series
Sunday, March 15
Now that virtually everything is available online, nearly everyone gets books, visual media and music via a website. Those who prefer the old-school method of hard-copy books and the like will be happy to know local libraries also host a plethora of free live events for the public. This Sunday’s concert starts with a special instrument petting zoo followed by a one-hour concert by the Camelia Symphony Orchestra. Free, 1 p.m. at the Sacramento Library’s Central Branch, 828 I Street, www.saclibrary.org/Locations/Central.
—Eddie Jorgensen
EarFilms
Thursday, March 19, through Sunday, March 21
At this point, everybody’s used to the high-budget film experience. Maybe something’s lost when we’re constantly experiencing multisensory entertainment. That’s why Mondavi Center’s presenting EarFilms, where people will be blindfolded to engage with a story purely on an auditory level. People will actually have to stretch their brain muscles and paint images in their minds. The EarFilm being screened is called To Sleep To Dream. $32, 7 p.m. nightly at Mondavi Center, 9399 Old Davis Road in Davis; www.mondaviarts.org.
