West Michigan’s Top 5 St. Patrick’s Day Events

Sometimes it's best to keep it simple on St. Patrick's Day. Irish music and Irish beer at an Irish Pub. Why mess with a perfect formula? The party starts at Quinn & Tuite's after the Grand Rapids Parade. Live music includes: Conklin Ceili Band, Five Leaf Clover, Lucky Charms, The Billies, and The Waxies. Quinn & Tuite's is at 1535 Plainfield in Grand Rapids.

Officially, the "Erin Go Bark: People And Their Pets Parade". It's a chance for your pet to get into the fun. There will be prizes for the best dressed dogs. Line-up is at 1:30pm in the Saugatuck Center for the Arts parking lot at 400 Culver Street.

The Grand Rapids St. Patrick's Day Parade starts at 11:00am on Saturday. 45 groups will participate. The parade starts at Michigan/Ottawa and heads south to Fountain, east to Division, south to Library, then ends at Veteran's Park.

Live Irish music and maybe just a few green beers will be at the 2nd Annual Irish on Ionia in downtown Grand Rapids. Ionia will be closed between Weston and Oakes as an expected 5,000+ people enjoy St. Patrick's Day on Ionia and in multiple bars. The party starts at 7:00am and runs until 10:00pm. Admission is $10 in advance and $15 at the gate. Get tickets at McFadden's, Hopcat, Stella's, and Viceroy.

Parades are fun, but sometimes they take too long. At least that's what the participants in the annual "Wearin' of the Green" Parade think. The parade starts at the north end of Main Street in Conklin and runs to the south end of Main Street. But as Fenian's reports "there is a fine Irish Pub midway, and we've never completed one yet". The parade starts at 10:55am on Saturday and everyone is welcome to participate. Line-up begins at 10:45am. The parade is followed by authentic Irish music and food at Fenian's, at 19683 Main Street in Conklin.