Leprechauns and Lunacy

Though it recognizes one of Ireland’s patron saints and is not a public holiday in the U.S., St. Patrick’s Day nonetheless ranks among this country’s major party occasions. And considering that no place on earth parties harder, Las Vegas is the place to be seen in green on March 17. Here’s a look at where Irish eyes will be smiling this year.

At J.C. Wooloughan (JW Marriot Las Vegas Resort & Spa in Summerlin; 702.869.7725) — which claims to be Sin City’s first bona fide Irish pub, brought over brick by brick from the Emerald Isle — there will actually be a six-day St. Paddy’s celebration (March 11 to 17), with related drink specials and live entertainment all week. On the day itself, doors will open at 10 a.m., before traditional bagpipes launch the day’s stellar continuous music lineup: John Windsor, Acoustic Soul, Vegas U2, Cletus & the Sweat and the WildCelts. J.C. Wooloughan’s outdoor arena, the Backyard, will also host live entertainment starting at 2 p.m. with the drums and pipes of Tartanic, and then the hardworking WildCelts playing from 9 p.m. until the wee hours. Both venues can be enjoyed for a $20 cover charge. Tickets are available from the pub or can be reserved by calling the number listed above.

Also in Summerlin, Three Angry Wives Pub (8820 W. Charleston Blvd.; 702.944.4411) is usually an atmospheric spot for a pint and a chat or a low-key date, but on St. Patrick’s Day it explodes with thousands of merrymakers. This year it’ll be offering an outdoor beer garden, traditional Irish food, cash and prize giveaways and all-day live music from the Wedge Brothers, Jeremy James and OCM. Last year the pub went through over 100 kegs of beer on the big day, so brace yourself for serious shenanigans.

Perhaps the biggest Vegas news for St. Paddy’s partiers this year is a brand-new Irish pub opening on the Strip that very day. Rí Rá Las Vegas, inside The Shoppes at Mandalay Place on the Strip (3930 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 702.632.9333), will feature authentic Irish artifacts lovingly restored, including an 8-foot statue of St. Patrick dating back to 1850. Rí Rá promises an authentic Emerald Isle atmosphere, well-above-average Irish pub food with American influences (corned beef brisket, shepherd’s pie, beef-and-Guinness stew), and fine live music seven nights a week.

The family-run McMullan’s Irish Pub (4650 W. Tropicana Ave.; 702.247.7000) is off-Strip and on-point as a remarkably evocative British Isles-style pub, with soccer on multiple TVs and mounds of authentic memorabilia. Since it stays open 24/7 year-round, McMullan’s St. Pat’s party tends to start early — it’s usually busy by 10 a.m. at the latest and stays that way until at least 4 a.m. the following day. This year there will be live bands on two stages — indoor and outdoor — from 4 p.m. till 2 a.m. (including Darby O’Gill and the Little People and John Windsor), plus delicious Eire fare being served all day. Well worth a cab ride.

The spacious McFadden’s Restaurant and Saloon (3700 W. Flamingo Road, inside the Rio; 877.645.3849) is another venue that makes a week out of St. Patrick’s, with drink specials and entertainment Saturday to Saturday. On the 17th there will be a “Kegs and Eggs” all-you-can-eat-and-drink breakfast for $20; a “21 Shotgun Salute” (the first 21 people through the door get to shotgun a beer for free); $10 Irish breakfast all day and night; a “Midday Mind-Eraser” open bar from 2 to 4 p.m. for $20); and multiple drink specials. McFadden’s celebration also features Irish dancers, the Desert Skye Pipe Band, a deejay spinning from 7 a.m. till closing, and a “Build Your Own Green Bikini” contest with a $1,000 cash prize. The $10 cover charge includes a souvenir yard glass.

With its decidedly Irish theme, O’Sheas Casino on the Strip (3555 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 702.697.2711) is predictably enthusiastic about St. Paddy’s. It will be throwing a huge block party on March 17 hosted by Lucky the Leprechaun and featuring live music, beer pong tournaments, green beer (of course!) and Irish food and drink specials (must be 21 or older to attend).

If Downtown Las Vegas strikes your fancy, Hennessey’s Tavern (425 Fremont St., Suite 110; 702.382.4421) will be home to the knee-slappin’ sounds of Darby O’Gill and Finnegan’s Wake, plus a beer garden and tons of St. Pat’s fun. And, as ever, there will be those charming servers in tartan skirts.

There are numerous other Irish-themed venues in Las Vegas that had not confirmed their St. Patrick’s festivities as we went to press. These include Fado Irish Pub and Quinn’s Irish Pub in Henderson; Nine Fine Irishmen at New York-New York; Jack’s Irish Pub inside Palace Station Hotel & Casino; Molly Malone’s Irish Pub (right by I-15 as you enter Vegas from the south); and Sean Patrick’s on West Flamingo Road.

For a more family-oriented St. Patrick’s Day, the Southern Nevada Sons of Erin Parade & Festival has been a fixture since 1966, first on Fremont Street, then on 4th Street and, since 2005, in downtown Henderson. The four-day 45th incarnation (March 17 to 20) promises to be the biggest yet, with a car show, beer garden and live music.

—Paul Rogers, Custom Publishing Writer