How to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Louisville
From Irish bars and restaurants to events around town, Bourbon City is the place to be for St. Patrick’s Day.
From the city's earliest settlers to the Irish-rooted neighborhoods Limerick and Irish Hill, you'll find an interesting amount of Irish heritage in Bourbon City. We invite you to shake things up this year with an Irish whiskey cocktail or green beer at one Louisville’s beloved Irish pubs or catch the St. Paddy’s vibes at our annual parade.
☘️ Events around town
Dropkick Murphys | Sunday, March 8
See this Irish-American Celtic punk band at Old Forester’s Paristown Hall on their “For The People... In the Pit St. Patrick's Day 2026 Tour.”
St. Patrick’s Parade | Saturday, March 14 | FREE
Line the corridors of Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue in the eclectic Highlands neighborhood for this annual parade and St. Patty’s celebration, which begins at 3 p.m.
Shamrocks & Shenanigans | Saturday, March 14
This open-street festival-style bar crawl at Fourth Street Live! will feature green drinks and live music.
Lucky’s St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl | Saturday, March 14
Bar hop through the Highlands neighborhood, making stops at five different bars. Tickets include 2-3 drinks or shots and admission to an after-party.
St. Patrick's Day Tent Party | Tuesday, March 17
Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day with the Irish Rover during this special outdoor event with traditional food and drink — plus, live music and entertainment.
St. Patrick’s Day Mahjong Play | Tuesday, March 17
Mahjong Studio One will host an open play with light refreshments and prizes.
Riverdance 30: The New Generation | Tuesday, March 24-Thursday, March 26
This refreshed production at The Kentucky Center will blend traditional Irish dance with modern staging, lighting, and visuals for an energetic performance.
☘️ Irish pubs and eats
Flanagan’s Ale House
This old country-style Irish pub offers a great craft beer selection and traditional Irish grub. Bangers and mash, corned beef and cabbage, and shepherd’s pie are all on the menu. Grab a pint from the horseshoe-shaped bar and relax in the courtyard, or check out the “Red Room” on weekends for late-night parties.
The Irish Rover
Located in a 170-year-old building in the heart of the Clifton/Crescent Hill neighborhood, The Irish Rover is a pub-style restaurant boasting a mix of classic Irish and British comfort food, like bubble & squeak, a ploughman’s plate, and Guiness beef stew. Speaking of which, the Guinness available here has been directly shipped from Dublin for over 28 years.
Jackdaw Coffee & Bourbon Bar
Located on the first floor of the Cambria Hotel in the trendy NuLu neighborhood, this coffee and bourbon bar was named after the Jackdaw, a small black crow found widely in Ireland. For breakfast, you can enjoy Irish-themed menu items like the “Top O’ the Mornin’ Breakwich” made with Irish bacon and the Jackdaw Brekkie Burrito made with corned beef.
Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
Built from the stones of a pub in Ireland, Molly Malone's is a laidback local fave on Baxter Avenue. With multiple indoor and outdoor seating areas and a rooftop deck, there’s plenty of places to hang out. Plus, there’s always international football, rugby, and hurling games playing on the TVs.
O’Shea’s Irish Pub
This lively pub is located in the heart of the Highlands neighborhood. Keep an eye out for the original bar dating back to the 1950s when the restaurant was cabaret started by the family matriarch Mary O’ Shea. For a quieter spot, across the shaded patio to the speakeasy inside the Carriage House.
Pat’s Steakhouse
This Louisville landmark, which originally was a coach inn and traveler’s stop in the 1880s, has been family owned and operated since 1958. Known for their hand-trimmed steaks, the semi-upscale restaurant also offers Irish stew, Irish meatloaf, and Irish whiskey cake. Locals have enjoyed dinners and celebrations in the themed dining rooms and outdoor garden for decades. While you're there, be sure to enjoy a cocktail at the original bar from the 1860s.
Patrick O’Shea’s
Located in a four-story historic building on Whiskey Row that once housed a bourbon distillery, the fourth generation of the O'Shea family have recreated the same rustic pub style and charm of their original restaurant O’Shea’s Irish Pub on Baxter Avenue. Patrick O’Shea’s features two floors of dining and a balcony overlooking Washington Street.
Shenanigans Irish Grille
Just off Bardstown Road in the Deer Park neighborhood is this local spot known for serving the coldest beer in town and is the perfect mix of an Irish pub, bourbon hotspot, sports bar, and neighborhood hangout.