Mar 11: No Green Beer

I mean, really. Who came up with green beer as a way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Not the Irish, I can assure you. And not any of the Irish around Fort Lauderdale who'll be serving the real, unadulterated thing over the next several days. Nope, they'll be pouring it straight and pure, just as they do the rest of the year. The black Guinness and the golden Harp and all the rest. I say this with a certain amount of pride. That's because I am genuinely part Irish, as I love to point out to anyone who'll listen around this time of year. I say this same thing like clockwork every March. But it's true. My ancestor folks came from County Cork, thank you very much. So yes, I like to think that I know a thing or two about celebrating Paddy's Day, as we Irish call it.

I've always been impressed with the variety and quality of Irish establishments around Greater Fort Lauderdale. There's no shortage of places to belly up for a well-poured Guinness or whatever libation you prefer. This year, there's also a huge Irish parade and festival at Huizenga Plaza in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Appropriately enough, it is called the "Fort Lauderdale St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival." Thoughtfully enough, it will be held before Paddy's Day. Consider this a training session for the real deal on March 17^th. Strengthening those beer-glass lifting muscles, maybe. Anyway, the Irish fest happens on Saturday, March 13, from 11:30am to 9pm, with a parade on Las Olas from 2-3:30pm. Sounds like a serious blast to me. There will be lots of entertainment, of course, and lots of food and beverage. Of course. This is the first Fort Lauderdale Irish festival in 17 years so it's a big deal. They even will have something called a "Wee Folk Village," which might suggest a tent for overly enthusiastic beerdrinkers to socialize with those leprechauns they've suddenly seen. Heh-heh. Sorry. Instead, it's an area just for kids. Bounce houses, face painting, stories, arts, crafts - basically, some great fun for your own wee folks. For more info, just visit http://www.ftlaudirishfest.com/. Early next week, I'll blog about some of the amazing Irish pubs you may want to visit on Wednesday. Nary a green beer to be found anywhere among them, I promise.