St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Wednesday this year. While the midweek date may put a damper on the daytime festivities (or may put a dent in workplace productivity, depending on your level of commitment), it also gives bar owners a chance to ramp up the revelry the weekend before.
After the jump, we’ve compiled a list of the best (mostly over-21) St. Patrick’s Day fun Arlington has to offer, from Thursday the week before to the wee hours of March 17. Enjoy — and please leave the car at home if you choose to imbibe.

Ri Ra Irish Pub (2915 Wilson Blvd)
- Thurs., March 11 to Sun., March 14
- Traditional Irish music
- Tues., March 16
- 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. — Irish-themed trivia
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- $4 black and tans and $4 half and half Guinness beer cocktails
- 8:00 a.m. — Open for breakfast
- 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Traditional Irish acoustic music
- $4 Guinness, $3.50 for other drafts
- $2.50 domestic bottles
- Half-price rail drinks
- Cover charged after 6:00 p.m.
- 9:00 p.m. — Dr. Fu performs
Ireland’s Four Courts (2051 Wilson Blvd)
- Sat., March 13
- 7:30 a.m. — Doors open
- 9:00 a.m. — Four Courts Four Miler
- Shamrockfest pre- and post-party
- Live music all day
- Sun., March 14
- 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. — Irish buffet brunch
- 9:00 p.m. to close — Irish-themed karaoke
- Mon., March 15
- 7:30 p.m. — Irish pub quiz (with giveaways)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- 10:00 a.m. — Doors open
- Irish lunch specials
- Music all day (on main stage and in heated tent
Clarendon St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Wilson Blvd and N. Barton St)
- Tues., March 16
- 8:00 p.m. — Parade heads up Wilson Blvd to Clarendon Metro station
- Will feature homegrown floats, people in costumes, and marchers from various local organizations
Iota (2832 Wilson Blvd)
- Tues., March 16
- 9:00 p.m. — O’Tasty performs (Irish rock)
Whitlow’s on Wilson (2854 Wilson Blvd)
- Tues., March 16
- Time TBA — Manannan performs (traditional Celtic music)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- $5.50 Guinness pints
- $5 Smithwick’s
- 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. — Irish food served
- Time TBA — Shannon Tide performs Celtic music
Sine (1301 S. Joyce St)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. — All-you-can-eat buffet (fish and chips, Sheppard’s pie, bangers with onions and peppers, corned beef and cabbage)
McGinty’s Public House (3650 South Glebe Road)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- Green beer, limited food menu
- Giveaways from Market Square at Potomac Yard retailers, including Massage Envy, Quiznos, LA Fitness, Cardinal Cleaners, Yvonne’s Hair & Nail, MyCell, Harris Teeter and Bank of America
- 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. — Carson and Chilli from Mix 107.3 FM broadcasting live
- 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. — Irish dancing
- 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. — Trad Routes (traditional Irish band flown in from Ireland) performs
- 9:00 p.m. to close — More live music
Kitty O’Shea’s (2403 Wilson Blvd)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. — Open for full Irish breakfast (corned beef hash, etc.)
- 11:00 a.m. to close — Full traditional Irish lunch/dinner menu, no cover
O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub (3207 Washington Blvd)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- 2:00 p.m. to close — Three Irish bands perform
Mackey’s Public House (320 South 23rd St)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- Discounted Irish signature dishes
- Noon to 4:00 p.m. — $3 Irish draft beers
- 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. — $4 Irish draft beers
- 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. — $5 Irish draft beers
- 8:00 p.m. — DJ playing Irish music and modern dance music
Mister Days (3100 North Clarendon Blvd)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- Green beer and other drink specials
- Giveaways
- Food specials including corned beef and cabbage and lamb stew
Crystal City Sports Pub (529 South 23rd St)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- Specials all day featuring corned beef and cabbage, irish stew, sheppard’s pie and potato leek soup
Tortoise and Hare (567 South 23rd St)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- Green beer, Miller Lite and Bud Light specials all day
- Guinness specials until 9:00 p.m.
- 9:00 p.m. — Cover band Klepto Radio performs
Bailey’s Pub and Grill Crystal City (2010-A Crystal Drive)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- 2:00 p.m. — Drink specials including green beer, Jameson and car bombs
- 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. — DJ playing Irish and popular music
- 9:00 p.m. — Karaoke
Bailey’s Pub and Grill Ballston (4238 Wilson Blvd)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- Green beer and $2.50 Miller Lites
Ragtime (1345 N Courthouse Road)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- $3 Green beer
- $3 McSorley’s Irish black lager
- $2.50 Miller Light drafts
- $6 Coors Light buckets (4 bottles)
- $5 Red Bull and vodkas
- Irish food (corned beef and cabbage, Sheppard’s pie, and Guinness stew)
- 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. — Covered with Jam performs (rock/jam band)
Rock Bottom (4238 Wilson Blvd)
- St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- $1.50 pints (including Irish Red)
- $2 shooters
- $5 Jaeger bombs
- $6 Red Bull and vodkas
- $9.99 Corned beef and cabbage
The Bungalow (2766 S. Arlington Mill Dr.)
- Mon., March 15 to St. Patrick’s Day (Wed., March 17)
- Irish menu specials including “Irish spring” Reuben rolls, Oh Danny Boy sandwich, Stew O’Guinness, Luck O’the Irish platter
- Live music Wednesday night
Click here to print the guide.
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Thanks for posting our St. Patrick’s Day gig at RiRa.
FYI, the bands goes on at 9pm not 10pm.
See you all there and at Shamrockfest on March 13!
Dr.FU
IRISH TRILOGY – PART 2 – SMITHWICK’S
‘Tis sure I’ll be wearing the green,
When the calendar says March seventeen,
To help me to think,
It Smithwick’s I drink,
Just try some, you’ll know what I mean.
Great list, very detailed! No excuse for us locals not to get into the Irish spirit with all of those options.