What to Know
- St. Patrick's Day is Friday, March 17
- Some spots, like the Original Farmers Market, will observe the holiday with music, traditional corned beef plates, and a festive spirit on March 17
- Shoreline Village's postponed Mardi Gras event will take on a St. Patrick's Day vibe on Saturday, March 18
Happy St. Patrick's Day: When March 17 alights on a Friday, you can count on a number of celebrations to pop up throughout the weekend. The Original Farmers Market will honor the lucky lark on March 17 with early evening tunes (and lines at Magee's Kitchen, where the corned beef is famous). The Tam O'Shanter's March 17 party includes a VIP dimension, while Shoreline Village will celebrate on March 18 (the event is partially a delayed Mardi Gras, too). And on March 19? The Bowers Museum hosts a free St. Patrick's Day-themed family festival.
LA Marathon presented by ASICS: You may be running in the world-famous city-spanning spectacular, cheering on a loved one from a well-chosen curb along the route, or calling upon the Health & Fitness Expo at Dodger Stadium. Wherever you choose to go and whatever you want to do, checking out road closures for the March 19 event is a must (it's moving through Hollywood, West Hollywood, and other cities). Oh yes: The expo kicks off on March 18.
Meet Us at The Greek: Savoring a live show at the Greek Theatre? It's an iconic Southern California experience, one you'll remember always. Digging deeper into the venue, its history, and all sorts of behind-the-scenes-y tidbits? Such an opportunity doesn't come along every day, but it will on Sunday, March 19. LA Conservancy is leading several tours of the destination, with looks at dressing rooms and recently restored architectural details. Spots are selling out, so snag yours soon.
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
Wistaria Festival: While we await word on the poppies of Antelope Valley, we can pause to admire another verdant wonder, the "largest blossoming plant" in the world (per a former Guinness Books estimation). It's wistaria vine growing across two private backyards in Sierra Madre, and it will be open for lookie-loo-ing on March 19. There's a free fest in the heart of town, while shuttles up to admire the vine are ticketed. Oh yes: Sierra Madre goes with "wistaria" as a spelling, not "wisteria," a longstanding tradition.
Underwood Spring Festival: We may have to check the calendar once, twice, or even a dozen times to really and truly make sure that spring is arriving next week (which will again see damp days aplenty). But one sure sign of sunnier times to come? This adorable Moorpark-based bash is opening for its multi-week run. The Animal Center's babies are a heartstring-tugging highlight, as are the plentiful activities and photo opps. The big bunny is hopping by the beloved farm, too, but do check the schedule. And keeping an eye on rain closures? Definitely do that.
