Ways To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day In Lemont

LEMONT, IL — St. Patrick’s Day is on a Friday this year, which means downtown businesses in Lemont may be quite busy as revelers take to the many restaurants and bars in town.

And devout Catholics may have to consult their parish priest before they dig into a plate of corned beef and cabbage.

If you're looking for a way to celebrate in Lemont, you can also head to The Forge: Lemont Quarries, 1001 Main St., for the St. Patrick's Festival on March 18 from noon to 6 p.m. Admission to the fest is free, and includes live music, Irish dance performances, bagpipers, workshops and more. There will park activities, tastings and food and beverage available for purchase. UPDATE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED.

Devout Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, a sacrifice that recognizes Jesus’ death on the cross on a Friday. Catholics in several suburban Chicago towns can eat the traditional fare without guilt, but the Archdiocese of Chicago is holding firm.

Whether revelers in cities like heavily Catholic Chicago, one of the most St. Patrick-y cities in the country, go all in with the holiday staple corned beef and cabbage could come down to whether they get special dispensation from the diocese.

There are several Lenten fish fries going on for Catholics who want to play it by the rules, including:

• Sts. Cyril and Methodius Parish
  • 608 Sobieski Street, Lemont, in the gym
  • 5 to 7 p.m.
  • Dine-in, carryout, pre-orders (fishfry@stcyril.org)
  • Fish, shrimp, and combo dinner; pasta marinara dinner
  • All dinners include choice of baked potato or fries, coleslaw and bread