St. Patrick’s Day: How Reston Celebrates Amid Pandemic

RESTON, VA — The traditional parades, festivals, races and large parties that often mark the St. Patrick’s Day season and celebrate Irish heritage this month will again mostly not take place this year as the coronavirus pandemic approaches the one-year mark.

In the Reston area, there are several places to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Kalypso's Sports Tavern, located at 1617 Washington Plaza N. in Reston, will have a special Irish menu and even the Kalypso Leprechaun might make an appearance on St. Patrick's Day. Torrey B will provide live music from 4:30-7:0 p.m.

The Old Brogue & Katie's Coffee, located at 760 Walker Road in Great Falls, has the follow St. Patrick's Day events planned:

• Irish Breakfast at Katie's, 7-10 a.m.
• Table Parties Inside the pub or outdoors on the patios, 11 a.m.-closing. Reservations are required and available in two-hour increments.
• St. Patrick's Day Parking Lot Party, 12:15 a.m.- closing. Limited reservations are available for the parking log party in three-hour periods 12:15 p.m., 3:15 p.m., and 6:15 p.m. Park your care and invite your friends to join you for the St. Patrick's Day Tailgate. Limit 10 people per spot.

Jimmy's Old Town Tavern, located at 697 Spring St., kicks off the day with Kegs 'n Eggs at 8 a.m. Traditional Irish food, music, and libations will be available throughout the day. Complimentary souvenir pins will be handed out to the first 350 customers and special edition T-shirts will go on sale at 8 a.m.

Ned Devine's Irish Bar and Restaurant, located at 2465 Centreville Road in Herndon, will be offering green beer all day long. The Eggs & Kegs event includes:

• Breakfast: 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
• Irish Musician Brian Gaffney performs from 12-4 p.m.
• Boyle School of Irish Dance: 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m., and 8 p.m.
• Northern Virginia Firefighters' Emerald Society Pipe Band: 5 p.m.

Sulley's Pour House, located at 754 Elden St. in Herndon, will kick of its Kegs & Eggs breakfast at 8 a.m. The following activities are offered throughout the day:

• Huntley and Ian Live Music: 1-5 p.m.
• Boyle School of Irish Dance: 2:30 p.m.
• Levi Stephens Live Music: 6-10 p.m.

Many of 2020’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations were muted at the last minute as the spread of the virus was declared a global pandemic just six days before the March 17 holiday. This year, with more time to prepare, there’s a different vibe as events go on virtually and in more creative ways.

Among the largest yearly neighborhood Irish celebrations across America is Chicago's South Side Irish Parade, which traditionally steps off on the Sunday before St. Patrick’s Day in the tight-knit Beverly community.

“Around here, the day of the South Side Irish Parade is like having Christmas and your birthday on the same day,” Tim McSweeney, co-chair of the South Side Irish Parade committee, told Patch.

Since city of Chicago officials decided not to grant any parade permits until at least April this year, the popular community parade itself was canceled for the second year in a row. But organizers have turned their disappointment into a way to help the small businesses that have supported the parade for years and have been impacted by the pandemic.

McSweeney and other parade organizers this year created “Shamrock Our Blocks,” a neighborhood decorating contest that will award the most creative displays with gift cards to local businesses.

“This keeps the joy and spirit of the South Side Irish Parade alive, celebrates St. Patrick’s Day responsibly during the pandemic and gives people something fun to do,” McSweeney said.

Residents pay $20 for a “Shamrock Our Blocks” sign to enter the contest, with a chance to win the top prize worth $2,000 — $1,000 in cash and another $1,000 in gift cards — McSweeney said. As of Wednesday, hundreds had been sold.

St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in America date back to 1631, according to National Geographic. Originally declared a feast day, over time the holiday increasingly became associated with the Irish American tradition.

The 2020 St. Patrick’s Day holiday celebrations were the first in some places to be canceled in centuries. New York City’s annual parade was not held for the first time since 1762; and Savannah, Georgia, which also hosts one of the nation’s largest parades, canceled its event for the first time since its 1824 inception.

Not all St. Patrick’s Day parades are canceled this year, though. Some — such as the one in Oak Forest, Illinois — are still on. But Oak Forest's parade will be along a different route to allow for greater spacing among spectators.

For McSweeney and others who love the March parade season, the excitement is already in the air for a return to normal come 2022.

“The Irish have come up against adversity in the past. We are no stranger to hard times,” he said. “But we are also known for making the best of a difficult situation, and that’s what we are trying to do."