South Side Irish parade on 3/17

Tomorrow at noon the parade steps off from 103rd and Western. Enjoy!

More info here: official parade web site.

fun on Saturday morning

Have you ever tried Open Streets in the city? We're getting a suburban version this Saturday morning in Oak Forest. A mile-long section of Cicero Ave. will be closed to car traffic and open to bike and pedestrian traffic. There will also be a 5K run, followed by a parade and an all-day festival. Check out the event flier for Oak Forest Fleadh.

two chances to see the Beverly All Stars this week

The Beverly All Stars are playing tonight at Iona's (1767 W. 95th St. - opposite the 95th St. Metra station - 773.233.0027.) from 7:30 to 10:00. This is a friendly little space. Be prepared to get cozy with your neighbors. If you need parking and can't find it on street, try the city lot 1/2 block uphill to the west.

On Saturday 3/13 they're playing at Blue Moon's 3-course Irish dinner ($15), which starts at 7 p.m. If you don't already have a reservation, I'd recommend making a call sooner rather than later. These special dinners tend to book up early. 773.840.3618

something different next St. Patrick's Day

I was a little surprised, but then not really surprised at this news. If you checked out the poll results and comments on the Sun-Times article, I'm guessing that most who oppose cancelling the parade are NOT from the neighborhood. I know a lot of people who live within a few blocks of Western who leave for the day. We live far enough from the route that we don't have a lot of problems with the drunks. The parade has a major impact on lots of businesses in the neighborhood. Of those within a mile of the parade that are usually open on Sundays, most non-bars close on parade day. I'm that some business lose $$ because of it, so I wouldn't be surprised if that was a factor.

A friend on 111th speculates that lots of drunks will show up and make the rounds of bars on Western anyway. She said that there were already drunks peeing on the side of her house at 11:00 a.m. - BEFORE the parade started. Sheesh!

I'll be curious to see what they plan next year. My guess would be that any parade would be small and kid-oriented. They'll probably continue the Irish film fest and have some concerts. That's not a bad thing. The parade itself is still fun, but the drunkfest has gotten a bit out of hand.

signs of spring

you know it's almost parade day when...

* there are Irish flags, shamrocks and leprechauns everywhere in the neighborhood

* lots of houses have tents and port-a-pots set up in the yard

* port-a-pot trucks are delivering up and down Western

It was a beautiful day for today's downtown parade. Looks like we'll have a fine day for tomorrow's South Side Irish parade. Cheers!

different shades of green

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The other night I encountered an Irish family on a Loop street looking for a pub. If you're looking for a bit of Irish fare, wander on down to one of our pubs, here in the neighborhood, or further north: Fado, Celtic Crown, or Chief O'Neill's, among others.

Even in Boston, the most Irish U.S. city, things are changing. Here's a bit of Boston Irish rock to celebrate the day, courtesy of Dropkick Murphys.

pub owner bans "Danny Boy" for month

I guess somebody really got sick of hearing this song around St. Patrick's Day.

clash of holiday traditions

Easter comes early this year, so Holy Week clashes with St. Patrick's Day. So that's why the South Side Irish parade is so early this year...