I’VE NEVER ATTENDED a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. I’ve never eaten corned beef and cabbage. But I have eaten Irish stew at The Olde Triangle Pub in Wabasha, although not on St. Patty’s Day.
I once spotted a partially-filled cup of green beer sitting outside a bar in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the day after St Patrick’s Day. I’m quite certain I’ve consumed an Irish lager or ale, although the beer was not colored green.
I’ve never attended a St. Patrick’s Day Mass, although I’ve photographed the exterior of the Church of St. Patrick, Cedar Lake Township in the unincorporated village of St. Patrick.
I am 100 percent German, although I had a full-blooded Irishman uncle (he died a year ago) from Belfast. He married into the family.
Now if any of this qualifies me to be an Irishwoman for a day, I will accept the luck of the Irish and don some green on March 17 or thereabouts.
We can all be Irish in mid-March as communities, churches, restaurants and bars, and more celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. In my region of southern Minnesota, you’ll find lots of ways to be Irish. Starting on Saturday, March 15, Sacred Heart Church in Waseca gets festivities underway with Irish music and Mass at 10:30 a.m. A Parade of Clans to The Mill Event Center follows at noon for an Irish rally. I take rally to mean a big party—food, including Mulligan Stew and corned beef and cabbage, served from a food truck; beer; music and entertainment; and more fun. At 7 p.m., Miss St. Patrick and Miss Irish Rose will be crowned. A dance follows. I should note here that Waseca is home to an Irish pub, Katie O’Leary’s Beef & Brew.
The tiny, unincorporated Scott County burg of St. Patrick, basically a church, cemetery, baseball field and tavern, is, of course, honoring the patron saint (and its name) via food and music at St. Patrick’s Tavern. The bar and restaurant along Old State Highway 13 northeast of New Prague will serve corned beef, cabbage and red potatoes on March 15 with a green beer on tap. Food and beer specials continue on March 17. There will be music both evenings.
Over in Le Center, a full day of Irish-themed festivities begins at 11 a.m. March 15 with Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Over at the American Legion, Mulligan Stew will be served from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. And then at 2 p.m., the big St. Patrick’s Day parade through downtown Le Center begins. Presiding over everything will be the newly-crowned royalty—Miss Shamrock, Miss Leprechaun and Miss Irish Rose. Dancing in the evening at the Legion wraps up the celebration.
In Owatonna, VFW Post 3723 is hosting a March 15 St. Paddy’s Day Dinner & Trivia party with dinner choices of corned beef and cabbage or Shepherd’s Pie, plus sides and dessert, served from 5-6:30 p.m. Irish Trivia follows at 7 p.m. with a chance to win a Pot of Gold. There will also be leprechaun races and other activities.
Music centers a high-energy show Saturday, March 15, at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault as Twin Cities-based The Northerly Gales brings its spin on Celtic Folk and Americana to the stage at 7:30 p.m. And, yes, you can enjoy a beer while enjoying the music.
Over in St. Peter, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the actual date, March 17. Paddlefish Brewing offers a special on its Leprechaun Lager. I expect the Irish and not-so-Irish will also gather at Patrick’s on Third for food and drink, including green beer. The Govenaires, the longest, continuously-operating drum and bugle corps in the U.S., performs in the 5:30 p.m. St. Patrick’s Day Parade and then briefly afterwards at Patrick’s on Third. The Governaires are traveling to Ireland in August to participate in the Rose of Tralee International Festival. They are encouraging donations of $17 on March 17 to help fund the trip.
So there you go, a sampling of St. Patrick’s Day activities happening in my region. But I must mention one more thing. If you want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Kilkenny, Minnesota, you’ll have to wait. The Le Sueur County town of some 150 with the Irish name shifted its annual Irish celebration to September. Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day is set this year for September 13 and 14. Mark your calendars for more Irish fun six months from now.
© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
That’s a good list of things to do. Thank you.I
You are welcome. Lots going on in the region. Hopefully the weather will cooperate, although it doesn’t look promising for Saturday.
Our Floridian Scottish hamlet will be Irish for a day coming up. They start young with the bagpiping and highland dancing here. I have had a truly YUMMY green beer with spirulina, lime, and coconut. No Scottish breweries but have plenty of craft breweries with a few leaning toward German style beers. Our region is ROCKIN right now – we kick it off with Gasparilla (pirate crews invade the Tampa Bay by water) – then Madri Gras, Spring Training (Major League Baseball – Phillies, Jays, Yankees), St. Patty’s Day and Spring Breakers collide this weekend and then Easter. Then it will quiet down and the snowbirds will be leaving in April/May too. CHEERS – Wear Your Green – Gold and Good Luck – ENJOY!!!
You have lots of fun events happening in your hamlet. Enjoy!
That is a long list of fun activities. Plenty for everyone to enjoy. Have you ever attended your up-north cabin family’s Crosslake St. Paddy’s Day Parade? “For 51 years, Crosslake has been celebrating the coming of Spring with a St Patrick’s Day Parade. What started out in the 70’s as a remedy for Cabin Fever, has grown into a destination event for thousands of green-clad, Irish-for-a-day, weekend enthusiasts.” This year’s theme: “The Magic of Change.”
No, we have not been to the Crosslake celebration and I didn’t even know about the event. We typically do not head north between October-April given the cabin is closed then. It’s not seasonal, although my SIL and BIL do have a year-round home on the property. Enjoy the parade if you attend.
sounds like lots of good green fun to be had. I’m half Irish/scotch and have celebrated most years, though in a much more relaxed way than my younger years. I love the halfway to st. paddy’s day celebration. that’s brilliant –
I figured with your last name that you were likely at least part Irish. Enjoy, however you celebrate. And look for some St. Patrick’s Day ideas coming in tomorrow’s post. Ideas that are much simpler than a big celebration.
will do!
I think it safe to say, everyone is invited to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. My surname was from Ireland when the first one bearing that surname arrived (unknown date – but before 1776). But to be honest, the were Scot-Irish. . A cousin went back to Ireland and checked on the name ONLY to find it was not Irish, or even Scot in origin. It is Norwegian – and most people would not guess Irish, Scot or even Scandinavian – English? Maybe. OK I like the Irish stews, and the Snitzels, by skip the Haggis and the Lutefisk. No need to dye my beer green, people aren’t going to see much of it in my glass any how. However, I would like a wee bit of Old Bushmills to wash it all down with. The Luck of the Irish be with you. Happy Sant Patty’s Day. Get well soon Audrey!
Gunny, Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you also, you of Norwegian heritage. Or maybe Irish or Scottish. 🙂
I have corned beef in my fridge ready to cook on Monday. It is one of my favorite holiday meals for sure. I hope you get a chance to try it sometime!
Corned beef has never looked that appealing to me, at least in photos. But I’ll take your word that it’s a favorite, meaning it must be good.
I’ve never had green beer.
They just color it with green dye. I’ve never had it either. Maybe it’s not a thing in NY?
this sounds like fun. My mother in law makes a corned beef hotdish for saint Patrick’s day that is pretty good.
Definitely lots going on in my region to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. That hotdish sounds interesting.