18 Ways To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day In Ellicott City, Columbia

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — St. Patrick’s Day is Friday this year. Entertainment districts in Howard County will be swimming in Kelly green, and perhaps flashing red and blue lights if people don’t behave themselves.

And devout Catholics may have to consult their parish priest before they dig into a plate of corned beef and cabbage. But Archbishop William Lori, head of the Baltimore Catholic Diocese, said that on St. Patrick's Day, Catholics may eat meat to celebrate the occasion.

Some of the places in the Ellicott City area to celebrate the March 17 holiday are:

OEC's Irish Celebration in Historic Ellicott City: Saturday, March 18, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It's Irish Day in historic Ellicott City. Free to attend. Irish inspired food, drink & shopping specials, town-wide scavenger hunt.

The Reagan Years at Turf Valley Resort: Friday, March 17, at 7 p.m. Step back in time for a night of classic pop, rock, new wave, and metal songs from the '80s. The doors open at 7 p.m. and music starts at 8. Tickets are $25 and overnight packages are available to turn it into a St. Paddy's Day getaway. The dress is casual and '80s attire is highly recommended.

Catch the Go-Karting Leprechaun at Autobahn Indoor Speedway: Friday, March 17, from 11 a.m. to noon. Special races throughout the day will give each racer who can pass the leprechaun a chance to win a prize by drawing from the “Magic Pot of Gold!” Prizes include T-shirts, free races, and three race packages.

St. Paddy's Weekend at Manor Hill Brewing: Friday, March 17, from 4-9 p.m., Saturday, March 18, from noon to 7 p.m., Sunday, March 19, from noon to 7 p.m. Tasting room open for St Paddy's weekend with 13 farm-brewed beers & hard seltzer, plus food trucks.

St. Patrick's Day Party at Looney's Maple Lawn: Friday, March 17, at 8 a.m. Try beat the clock specials and an Irish brunch, plus live music with Jim Milligan, Misspent Youth, White House Effect and Djchrome.

Check out a full list of HoCo restaurants here and HowardonTap craft brew trail here.

Find details on more places to head to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day:

• Trek Ellicott City St. Patrick's Day Social Ride! is hosted at Trek Bicycle Ellicott City.
• Celebrate St. Patricks Day In Style is hosted at Black Box Theatre at Howard County Center for the Arts.
• Social Dinner At Kelsey's Restaurant is hosted at Kelsey's Restaurant, Irish Pub, & Banquet Room.
• St. Patrick's Day Bash with Bad Moon is hosted at BareBones Grill.
• The Have Nots ShamROCK The Brew Hive! is hosted at HoCo Brew Hive.

Best Places To Celebrate St. Patrick's Day 2023 In Columbia Includes:

• Kelly's Pub & Grill - St. Paddy's Celebration! is hosted at The Ale House.
• Party Fowl Band opens for Amish Outlaws St. Patrick's Day Bash! is hosted at Union Jack's of Columbia.
• St. Patty's Fun Run & Walk with ASICS is hosted at Charm City Run Columbia.
• St. Patrick's Day at Reckless Shepherd Brewpub! is hosted at Reckless Shepherd Brewpub and Entertainment.
• Paws-N-Patty’s is hosted at Green Turtle Columbia.
• M**der Mystery Party - Columbia MD is hosted at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Columbia.
• Union Jack's Columbia
• Charm City Run Columbia at Lake Elkhorn on Sunday, March 19 at 10 a.m.

(Add any events you know of open to the public in our comments section below!)

Officers will be on the lookout for impaired drivers Friday night across the state.

• Related: MD Police Beef Up Patrols For St. Patrick's Day Weekend

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 Diocese 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, which has been granted for Catholics in the Baltimore region.

There are numerous Lenten fish fries going on for Catholics who want to play it by the rules. A list can be found on the Baltimore diocese website.