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The Charlotte St. Patrick’s Day Parade Is Back

Author Phil Harris
(Photo by Paul McErlane/Getty Images)

It has been three long years but, for the first time since the pandemic, the streets of uptown Charlotte will once again be awash with “the wearing of the green.” The Charlotte St. Patrick’s Day Parade returns, live and in-person, on Saturday, March 11th.

Rory Wall, a longtime Charlotte resident and retired IBM employee, has taken over as the general chairman of the parade committee and he has ambitious long-term plans for the event. Wall says he’d like to see it become the biggest and best St. Patrick’s Day parade between New York City and Savannah, Georgia.

According to the Charlotte Observer, this year’s parade will feature various marching bands, including the Grandfather Mountain Highlanders Pipe Band, drill teams, and a pack of majestic Irish Wolfhounds making their way down Tryon Street. The Charlotte St. Patrick’s Day Parade is scheduled to run from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The marching bands and giant dogs are only part of the fun. There will also be a day-long street festival with performances by Irish dancers and bands, craft vendors, and traditional Irish food and drink. You’ll find plenty of Guinness, Smithwick’s, and Harp beer to wash down your bangers and mash. The festival will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the intersection of Tryon and East 3rd.

You can find more information about the Charlotte St. Patrick’s Day Parade and street festival HERE. Don’t forget to wear your green!

Phil Harris is 50% of "Phil & Mel in the Afternoon" on K104.7. He has been with the station since 2013 and on the air in Charlotte since 2000. Before coming to the Queen City, Phil worked for radio stations in Pittsburgh, Austin, and Seattle. In addition to the weekly "Throwback Threesome" music video feature, Phil writes about things that matter to Charlotte sports fans and pet owners. He happens to be both.

6 Guinness Cocktails You Can Make For St. Patrick’s Day

St Patrick’s Day honors the death of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The annual day of celebration originally marked the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and was made an official religious holiday by the Catholic Church in the early 17th century.

While traditional festivities saw communities gather at church services and family feasts, it has since become a notoriously boozy holiday celebrated here in the U.S. Many celebrate March 17 by sipping on one of the country’s most iconic exports – Guinness.

A stout beer known for its dark color, creamy head and characteristic caramel flavor is made from roasted barley, hops, yeast and water. If you’re looking to switch things up this year, check out these 6 Guinness cocktail recipes below:

  • Wilde Oscar

    A simple cocktail that takes just five minutes to make, the Wilde Oscar is a modern take on the Old Fashioned. A traditionally saccharine drink, the addition of bitter stout beer helps to offset some of the sweetness as does using a bourbon with lots of spicy character.
    Ingredients: (one serving)
    1.5oz bourbon

    1oz Guinness Extra Stout

    0.5oz rich simple syrup

    Dash of botanical bitters

  • Bloody Mary

    A take on the traditional Bloody Mary, this recipe uses seafood seasoning, black pepper, celery salt hot sauce and Worcester sauce combined with tomato juice and stout beer to give it a malty flavor.
    Ingredients: (one serving)

    1.5oz vodka

    3oz tomato juice

    2 pinches celery salt

    2 pinches pepper

    Seafood seasoning

    2 dashes hot sauce

    2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

    1 squeeze lemon

    2oz Guinness Draught

  • Parts Unknown

    This drink is a combination of a traditional Guinness cocktail and a more tropical Tiki-style cocktail that combines stout beer with blackcurrant liquor to balance the bitterness and compliment its natural dark fruit flavors.
    Ingredients: (one serving)

    1.5oz rum

    0.5oz lemon

    0.75oz Crème de Cassis

    0.25oz Orgeat

    Guinness Draught

  • St. James’s Flip

    Named after the St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin, this is a traditional old-style cocktail that’s made using a whole egg. For best results, use the freshest eggs you can get your hands on and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
    Ingredients: (one serving)

    1oz rum

    0.5oz sweetened condensed milk

    1/2 of a fresh egg

    1.5oz Guinness Foreign Extra Stout or Guinness Draught

    Grated nutmeg

  • Newly Minted

    A combination of stout beer and white crème de menthe, the two ingredients pair really well together to create a warm chocolatey character. The trick here is to use lots of ice and serve with a sprig of mint.
    Ingredients: (one serving)

    1 fluid oz White Crème De Menthe

    Guinness Extra Stout or Guinness Draught

  • Black and Blonde

    The drink combines Guinness blond American lager and, of course, the classic Irish stout. While it seems like a pretty basic cocktail, there is a technique to it, which if you get it wrong can end up making a bit of a mess. To start with you have to pour in half a pint of American lager. You then top it up with Irish stout by using a pouring spoon or inverted teaspoon, letting the stout float on top of the lager. The result is certainly an interesting-looking beer.
    Ingredients: (one serving)
    10 oz. Guinness Blonde

    10 oz. Guinness Draught

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