Salt Lake City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade and siamsa are back for a 46th year on Saturday — a day when The Gateway will not only be transformed into a sea of green, but into a huge Irish pub.
This year’s theme is “celebrating Irish hospitality,” defined by “that mentality where people are just so hospitable and welcoming and friendly,” said Sean Clark, president of the Hibernian Society of Utah, which puts on the annual parade and siamsa (an Irish word, pronounced “shee-am-sah,” and roughly meaning “folk entertainment”).
Like any Irish pub worth its salt, The Gateway on March 16 will have traditional Irish music, friendly conversation and pints of Guinness. However, Clark said, you don’t have to be a drinker to “participate and to be part of the celebration and part of the party.”
Clark said he was inspired by Irish hospitality over the summer, when he visited a pub, P. Frawley Bar, in Lahinch, a town in County Clare on Ireland’s west coast. “We walked into this pub, and people turned around and introduced themselves, and it was just like we had come into a room with a bunch of old friends,” Clark said.
P. Frawley Bar, in operation since the 1850s, “is one of the foremost traditional Irish bars in Ireland,” the Hibernian Society said in a news release. And its owner, Peter Banim — whom Clark befriended in Ireland — agreed to fly to Utah to be the grand marshal of Salt Lake City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.
The parade is set for Saturday at 11 a.m., and will travel east along 200 South before turning north into The Gateway and traveling through the shopping center to 50 North.
The siamsa — featuring Irish music, dance, food and drink — will be held afterward in The Gateway’s main plaza until 5 p.m. Catered Irish food including corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew and Irish soda bread will be available indoors at 79 S. Rio Grande St. There will also be outdoor food trucks and vendors, and The Gateway’s restaurants will be open.
The other indoor space will be a pop-up bar in the former Rocket Fizz building, just south of the plaza. An afterparty will be held starting at 5 p.m. at Flanker Kitchen + Sporting Club, one level above the action in the plaza (more details below).
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) A Bassett Hound walks in the Saint Patrick's Day Parade at the Gateway on Saturday, March 11, 2023.
Where else to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
This year, with Salt Lake City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade happening Saturday, March 16, and the actual holiday falling on Sunday, March 17, Utahns have an entire weekend to celebrate Irish culture. Here is what some of the state’s restaurants and bars are offering:
Après Pendry • 2417 W. High Mountain Road, Park City; 435-800-1992; Pendry.com • Après Pendry is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday, March 17, with Irish-inspired whiskey and beer specials and more from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Bewilder Brewing • 445 S. 400 West, Salt Lake City; 385-528-3840; bewilderbrewing.com • This downtown brewery will have several Irish-themed beers on tap during St. Patrick’s Day weekend, including their Irish Lager, Dry Irish Stout, Irish Red and Leprechaun Tears (green glitter beer). Bewilder will have their Scottish Ale, Scottish Wee Heavy and English Bitter on tap, too. Food specials will also be available.
Copper Canyon Grill & Tavern • 215 W. South Temple, inside the Radisson Hotel; 385-354-5457; OpenTable • On Sunday, March 17, diners can order lamb stew for $10 or a corned beef and cabbage sandwich on Irish soda bread for $18. Get a Guinness or Irish mule ($14) to go alongside.
Duffy’s Tavern • 932 S. Main St., Salt Lake City; 801-355-6401; https://www.instagram.com/duffystavernslc • St. Patrick’s event details to be announced.
Flanagan’s on Main • 438 Main St. , Park City, 435-649-8600; FlanagansOnMain.com • On Sunday, March 17, enjoy traditional Irish “fayre,” and a DJ, from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Purchase raffle tickets for giveaways throughout the day.
Flanker Kitchen + Sporting Club • 6 N. Rio Grande St., Salt Lake City; 801-683-7070; flankerslc.com • Flanker is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day “Eve,” beginning with brunch at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 16, with live music provided by Finch & the Magpies from noon to 2:30 p.m., and Backyard Revival Band from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Hibernian Society’s afterparty for the St. Patrick’s Day parade (which is happening in The Gateway one level below Flanker earlier that day) will begin at 5 p.m.
There will be drink specials — including a $5 green Bud Light draft, a $7 Guinness draft, a $7 Jameson shot, and a $13 The Irish, which is a Guinness with a Jameson shot. To eat, there will be Guinness-braised corned beef served with red-and-green cabbage and boiled potatoes for $22, shepherd’s pie for $20, and bread pudding for $9. Saturday is also a home Utah Jazz game vs. the Timberwolves at 7:30 p.m., across the street at Delta Center.
St. Patrick’s Day “Eve” is also opening day of Flanker’s new pop-up ’80s themed bar, Tipsy Flamingo. Reservations are encouraged.
On St. Patrick’s Day itself, there will be Sunday brunch beginning at 11 a.m., and another performance from Finch & the Magpies from noon to 2:30 p.m., as well as the same drink and food specials.
Gracie’s • 326 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City; 801-819-7565; GraciesSLC.com • On Saturday, March 16, Gracie’s gastropub will be erecting a giant tent across most of its parking lot and holding a big St. Patrick’s Day celebration inside with beer trucks, DJs, Irish food, themed cocktails and plenty of Guinness.
Hyatt Centric Park City • 3551 N. Escala Court, Park City; 435-940-1234; Hyatt.com • St. Patrick’s Day specials at Escala Provisions Company include a mesquite-smoked turkey Reuben, green beer flights and Jameson mule cocktails.
The Leprechaun Inn • 4700 S. 900 East, Millcreek; 801-268-3294; Facebook.com • On Sunday, March 17, The Leprechaun Inn will be serving corned beef and cabbage for $14 and beef stew for $12, and bagpipe group the Salt Lake Scots will be performing at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Lucky 13 • 35 W. 1300 South, Salt Lake City; 801-487-4418; Lucky13SLC.com • Lucky 13 is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with five days of food (especially the Lucky Irishman Burger), drinks and bagpipes from Wednesday through Sunday, March 13-17.
Montage Deer Valley • 9100 Marsac Ave., Park City, 435-604-1300; Montage.com • March 15-17, pair a beer with a shot to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Burgers & Bourbon, Vista and Daly’s Pub & Rec. Enjoy Guinness and Jameson for $24, or Killians Irish Red Ale and Redbreast Irish Whiskey for $38.
Piper Down • 1492 S. State St., Salt Lake City; 801-468-1492; piperdownpub.com • This Irish-themed pub will be celebrating all weekend long with live music on Friday, Saturday and St. Patrick’s Day proper. On Friday, Finch & the Magpies will play from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and folk-punk band Folk Hogan will play from 11 p.m. to close.
On Saturday, Red Headed Step Twins will play from noon to 2 p.m., traditional Irish ensemble Reel Folk will play from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Finch & the Magpies will play from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Irish folk-rock band Murphy & the Giant will perform from 8 p.m. to close.
On Sunday, Red Headed Step Twins will play from noon to 2 p.m., Celtic folk group Callanish will play from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., folk/Americana group David Burchfield & the Fire Guild will play from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Celtric-rock band Swagger will play from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Bagpipe and drum group Heathen Highlanders will be playing throughout the evening on all three nights.
Prohibition • 151 E. 6100 South, Murray; 801-281-4852; prohibitionutah.com • Prohibition is celebrating the weekend with a St. Patrick’s Day variety show on Friday, March 15, and Saturday, March 16, with performances at 7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. Performers will include burlesque dancers, aerialists, drag queens, singers and more, according to the bar’s website. Admission is $10 at the door, and reservations are recommended.
On St. Patrick’s Day itself, Prohibition will be hosting an event, Crafts & Cocktails, from 6 to 8 p.m. A $10 reservation will get you a paint-by-numbers kit that you can use to create a festive work of art. Enjoy drinks and treats while you paint.
St. Regis Deer Valley • 2300 Deer Valley Drive East, Park City, 435-940-5700; SRDVDining.com • Savor shepherd’s pie, beer-braised sausage with cabbage, and corned beef sandwiches, plus Irish-themed drinks and desserts at Brasserie 7452 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 17. From 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., there will be Irish food and drinks plus Irish rock in The Vintage Room, as well as a bagpipe intro and outro at a Champagne sabering.
