March Madness 2017: Pi Day, St. Patrick’s Day And Spring All Make For A Busy Week Of Fun

HOUSTON, TX -- Spring has literally sprung, which is means the yellow film of pollen is covering vehicles in most southern states, and we’re also sneezing our collective heads off.

This also means, in Texas at least, that the spring planting should be firing up soon, or is already well underway.

However, there’s a lot more happening in March than just a simple ushering in of the spring equinox, so get ready to mark your calendars starting today.

That’s right, today. (For news updates on this story and other Houston news, just click here to get Patch's daily newsletter and free, real-time news alerts).

Today is Pi Day, where mathematicians and nerds everywhere pay reverence to 3.14, on the 14th day of the third month.

So, what exactly is Pi?

Pi (π) is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Pi is a constant number, meaning that for all circles of any size, Pi will be the same.

Image: koka_sexton via Flickr

Outside the equation, it will simply be referred to as “pie” day in the non-mathematical realm, instead of Pi, which will allow non-mathematicians to celebrate with, wait for it, pie.

In Houston, Three Brothers Bakery will observe this auspicious day by offering everyone a chance to win a free pecan pie, but only if they can remember and recite the 75 numbers of the 3.14 numeral sequence.

That promotion is only good on Pi Day.

Wait, there’s still more.

This Friday, March 17, is St. Patrick’s Day, the day where a lot of Americans claim Irish ancestry, even when they aren’t.

The green beer will flow at most area bars and pubs, making St. Patrick’s Day the fourth largest drinking holiday, behind Christmas, New Years Day, and Independence Day.

However, there are a few family friendly activities in Houston where Ireland’s patron saint can be celebrated without a potential DUI charge.

McGonigel's Mucky Duck, located at 2425 Norfolk Street, will host its 26th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Done Right celebration.

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The air will be filled with sound of bagpipes, and the smell of cabbage, shepherd's pie and corned beef.

The fun starts at 11 a.m. Friday, March 17, and continues until 11 p.m., but you’ll need a ticket to get in the door, and can be purchased at mcgonigels.com.

The Houston Children’s Museum has free family events starting on Thursday, March 16.

Although these are not in any way related to St. Patrick’s Day, they are free and and open to the public each Thursday at 5 p.m.

Of course, the spring equinox happens on March 20, and while much of the eastern seaboard will be digging out from a massive winter storm, Texans are thinking about their flowerbeds and vegetable gardens.

In fact, spring has sprung in some areas, with tomatoes, peppers, onions and squash finding their way into gardening centers, alongside the marigolds, hibiscus, and azaleas.

This is also the season where the live oak trees are shedding their leaves and simultaneously sprouting their new spring growth, so while planting is in full swing, it’s also a great idea to break out the rake and leaf blower, and either start bagging, or use the leaves with your mulch and garden soil to create nutrients for those new spring plants.

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Lowes offers great lawn and garden tips, and professionals can tell what you’re doing right and what you need to be doing right to get your lawn ready for the family easter egg hunt, and of course, summer.

When, it’s time to take a load off, and rest from your lawn and gardening labors, there’s no better way, than sports.

Spring also means the crack of the bat with the start of baseball season.
Spring training got underway in late February and early March, and continues with games throughout the month of March.

The regular season of the National Baseball League kicks off on April 2.

But March wouldn’t be March without the NCAA basketball tournament and March Madness.

If you don’t have your bracket filled out already for the March Madness NCAA basketball tournament, you’d better hurry.

The tournament gets underway March 14 with 68 teams all vying for a chance to be the NCAA college basketball champs, and it all starts tonight in Dayton Ohio with Wake Forest taking on Kansas State, and New Orleans taking on St. Mary’s.

The Texas Southern University Tigers will represent Houston in the tournament this year, so there will be plenty of reasons to cheer.

The flurry of hard court action continues into April with the Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona on April 1, and the NCAA Championship game on April 3.

So what are your plans?

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