The streets of the metro Denver area might have been icy in places, but they were also peppered with green amid St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. And in Highlands Ranch, because of last week’s snow, there are still festivities to look forward to.
For two Irish pubs in the south metro region, the weekend is one of the biggest events of the year.
In Littleton, Ned Kelly’s Irish Pub closed down part of Sycamore Street for a tent for celebrations. They had a Guinness bar, dancing, bagpipes and live Irish music performances from morning until past midnight on Saturday and Sunday.
They also served Irish food — including corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, reubens and Irish nachos — from Grande Station, a restaurant next door.
“We had an awesome weekend,” said Megan Casey, general manager and partial owner of the pub. “The turnout was unbelievably fantastic! Our amazing little community came out in droves and we can not thank them enough.”
Roughly 5,000 people showed up to the event over the course of the weekend, Casey estimated, and she loved “watching everyone that came out to celebrate having a great time.”
There were musical performances by Irish folk band Avourneen, the Mile Highlanders pipe band and the Denver & District Pipe Band, according to the pub’s Facebook page. Dancers performed from the Reed School of Irish Dance, Connolly Irish Dance and McTeggart Irish Dancers.
Casey thanked her staff, the extra staff hired for the event, the Littleton Police Department and the restaurant’s neighbors for supporting the event.
At Slattery’s Pub & Grill in Greenwood Village, people donned their green attire to enjoy Irish meals and drinks in a beer garden and a heated tent.
“Since I bought the place, we do it every year, we do an annual St. Patty’s Day celebration,” said owner Bill Psyllas, who purchased the pub in 2019. He said his favorite part of the annual event is “the people.”
“Seeing all the people come out, celebrate and have fun,” he said. “I get to meet a lot of people — I’m a people person … so it’s great.”
The pub offered Tullamore D.E.W Irish whiskey, Guinness and Jameson specials and only served Irish food for the weekend, he said.
Psyllas’ team celebrated the beginning of their festive weekend with a “green ribbon cutting,” attended by members of the Greenwood Village City Council, who came to enjoy the festivities.
For those who didn’t get to celebrate over the weekend, there is still a way to enjoy some St. Patrick’s Day fun. The Highlands Ranch Community Association postponed its St. Patrick’s Day 5K, which was originally planned to happen on March 16, because of the snow.
Now, it will be taking place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on March 23.
“This family-friendly race is packed with Irish cheer,” said Rebecca J. Ruiz, director of marketing and communications for the association. “We have a bagpipe band on course and Irish step dancers at the finish line!”
Ruiz thanked race participants for their understanding around the postponement and said the association is excited to keep the St. Patrick’s Day spirit alive on Saturday.
The event organizers encourage attendees to wear their best Irish costumes to the race, where they can run or walk the 3.1-mile course. During the run, whoever finds a golden kettlebell will win $100, according to the event webpage.
At the end of the race, runners and walkers can enjoy a free beer from Living the Dream Brewing, an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast and entertainment.
People interested in signing up for the race can do so at https://runsignup.com/Race/CO/HighlandsRanch/HRCAStPatricksDay5K.