Booze, comedy & more: 6 best St Patrick's Day events in Beijing

Yes, it's that time of the year again. The smog lifts a little, the flowers are about to blossom and we all gather to celebrate a fifth-century Romano-British sheepherder. You know the guy. The one who was kidnapped by raiders, forced into six years of slavery, rescued by the voice of God before going on to convert the heathen Irish. Cheers to you, St Patrick.

They say everyone is Irish on March 17 and that certainly rings true for a number of Beijing establishment looking to bring the craic. From food and drink specials, live music, to markets and pub crawls, celebrate this Paddy's Day in Beijing with our top picks below.

St. Paddy's Market

. Sat 18. Noon-6pm. FREE 

Vegans of Beijing’s monthly market returns this weekend with a Paddy's Day twist. Join for an afternoon of live music, raffles, and animal adoption, and check out a variety of stalls peddling everything sustainable from homemade plant-based f&b goodies to eco-friendly products including jewelry, arts and body-care products.

Lepre-con St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl

. Sat 18. 1.30pm-late. FREE 

Get down to all things drunken and debaucherous at Lepre-con, a Paddy's Day pub crawl hosted by the Beijing Hash House Harriers. Show up in anything green, rainbow or gold, and embark on a drinking expedition that kicks off at Side Street (Jianguomen) and concludes at Paddy's.

St. Patrick’s Week at Beersmith 

Photo: @patrickian4/Unsplash.com

. Sat 18. 9pm-late. FREE 

Find food specials such as Irish stew, corned beef sandwich, Irish bread and butter pudding all week long at Beersmith. Their Paddy’s Week celebration will culminate in a big ol’ party on Saturday, where resident band Soul Shake is playing a tribute concert celebrating Ireland's most iconic acts (think U2 and Westlife). Also enjoy for drink specials including a nitro oatmeal stout, Jameson tea highball, Irish mule and special shots.

St. Patrick’s Day Menu Specials at the Local

. Fri 17. 6pm-1am. FREE 

To mark the occasion, the Local has a few Paddy’s Day drink specials on offer including green beer (30RMB), guinness on draft (60RMB), Irish coffee (50RMB), Dublin drop (60RMB), as well as 30RMB baby guinness and Jameson shot. There’s also St. Patrick's Day party favors up for grabs for every order of the menu specials.

St. Patrick’s Day Specials at Buddy's

. Fri 17. FREE 

For somewhere more cosy to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Buddy’s is offering a hearty menu on Friday featuring dishes like Irish stew and corned beef. Plus enjoy Guinness on draft, free tsingdao and live music.

St. Paddy's Day Improv Comedy

. Sat 18. 8:30pm-late. 80RMB 

For some good craic without the punishing hangover, join the Beijing Improv for a special St. Patrick's Day-themed improv comedy, featuring characters and scenes inspired by sugestions from the audience. All proceeds will go towards a charitable cause as with all Beijing Improv shows.

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