St. Patrick’s Day is so much more than corned beef and cabbage. Get into the spirit of the Emerald Isle with these St. Patrick’s Day-themed events throughout the greater Mercer County region. Slainte!
Killarney’s Publick House
Killarney’s Publick House, described on its website as an “old-school Irish alehouse,” brings seasonal imagery to life with a “St. Patrick’s Day”-inspired cookie decorating class for all ages on Thursday, March 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Participants will learn and take home six baked creations in this how-to guide to holiday imagery taught by Deana’s Cookie Couture, a shop based in Newtown, Pennsylvania, but designed by and with promotional materials from 6 B’s Creations.
Both businesses offer custom-order personalized cookies for purchase, but Deana’s Cookie Couture is a member of 6 B’s Creations’ “Teaching Partners” program, which develops monthly class sets for its participants to teach.
Tickets are $55 per person. To register, visit the Deana’s Cookie Couture website at deanascookiecouture.com. All supplies are provided in class at this event, and limited seating is available.
More information: deanascookiecouture.com.
On St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday, March 17 the Hamilton pub offers some extra Irish flair with a special menu and an all-day lineup of live music on the outside patio, walk-ins only, as the restaurant opens bright and early at 8 a.m.
According to the Facebook page for the event, this features performers from the Kotelnicki School of Irish Dance in Hamilton, local acts like Mark Sacco and Electric Stingray, as well as a “special appearance by Hibo’s Pipes & Drums.”
Killarney’s Publick House, 1644 Whitehorse Mercerville Road, Hamilton. www.killarneyspublickhouse.com.
Lucky Bulldog Dash
On your mark, get set, and go green! Walk or run in Hopewell Valley Central High School’s “5K Lucky Bulldog Dash,” a fundraiser to support senior programming for the HVCHS Class of 2025, on Saturday, March 16, 9:30 a.m. at 259 Pennington Titusville Road.
USA Track & Field New Jersey has sanctioned the event and will certify the 5K course prior to the race, which also qualifies as part of USATF’s “2024 Grand Prix” series with a point value of 500.
The competition is on no matter rain, snow, or shine, with awards given to the top three male and female contestants overall, as well as the top three male and female contestants in each age bracket, the groups of which are: 15 and younger; 16 to 19, 20 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, 70 to 79, 80 to 89, as well as 90 and older.
After completing the “Dublin Road” course, participants can enjoy a day of music and fun hosted by the HVCHS PTO.
Prizes will be awarded to the top team and individual themed costumes, as well as to “anyone who can catch the Leprechaun” spotted around the Pennington campus.
Registration fees are $35 per person, with all participants 18 years of age and younger receiving a $5 discount at checkout.
To register online or donate, see the event’s page on the Race Roster website at raceroster.com/events/2024/83118/hopewell-valley-5k.
Registration opens at 8 a.m. on the day of the event. In addition to benefiting the HVCHS Class of 2025’s future senior events, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to a local charity.
5K Lucky Bulldog Dash, Hopewell Valley Central High School, 259 Pennington Titusville Road, Pennington. Saturday, March 16, 8 a.m. registration and 9:30 a.m. race start. Price: $35 per person, discounts available. raceroster.com/events/2024/83118/hopewell-valley-5k.
Tir na nOg
The Irish pub on the Trenton/Hamilton border offers two sessions of live Irish music on St. Patrick’s Day.
Diarmuid MacSuibhne performs from noon to 4 p.m. The banjo player and singer originally from the Cork and Kerry region in Ireland is now based in the Philadelphia area. Band Some Assembly Required takes over live music duties from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Tir na nOg, 1324 Hamilton Avenue, Trenton. www.trentontirnanog.com.
Cooper’s Riverview
Get a taste of the Mercer County nightlife with a St. Patrick’s Day-themed “Dine and Dance” event at Cooper’s Riverview, a “waterfront dining and entertainment” venue located right on the Delaware River in Trenton, featuring popular cover band The Nerds.
Described as “America’s Party Band Fun-omenon,” The Nerds are a Jersey Shore staple with an onstage gimmick of dorky fashion and thick-framed personas riffing off a series of Saturday Night Live sketches about a fictional group of the same name.
The quartet has maintained this comedic style through nearly four decades of performing pop and rock songs together.
Over the years, The Nerds have shared the stage with everyone from Sheryl Crow to Jon Bon Jovi to Maroon 5, as well as being the house band for MTV’s “Ultimate Cover Band Contest,” which they also hosted.
Doors open at 6 p.m., with the St. Patrick’s Day buffet dinner and drinks, including “American favorites,” available an hour later at 7 p.m.
In addition to the band’s 8 p.m. concert in the Colosseum Event Hall, Cooper’s will also have a house DJ playing the main dance floor.
Multiple ticket packages are available, starting at $15 general admission, which includes access to both the main bar and dance floor party, but with seating described as first come, first served in a non-reserved area.
The GA price will be higher at the door.
The gold package for the show and dinner is $35 and includes general admission, access to the Cooper’s dinner buffet with carving station, and seating in the Colosseum Event Hall.
The platinum rate is $45 and includes general admission, the dinner buffet, VIP seating near the dance floor and in the main event hall, as well as access to a VIP bar area.
According to the Eventbrite page for the event, both those in the gold and platinum tiers must pay an additional 15 percent service charge at the end of the dinner experience.
The Nerds “St. Pat’s Eve!” Party and Dinner Show, Cooper’s Riverview, 50 Riverview Plaza, Trenton. Saturday, March 16, 7 to 11:30 p.m. Doors open at 6, buffet starts at 7, and showtime is 8 p.m. $15 to $45. www.coopersnj.com.
Celebrate the Green
Whether it’s preserving the natural green or the Irish spirit, the D&R Greenway Land Trust and Voices Chorale NJ are paying tribute to the hue with another music and dance benefit, “Celebrate the Green,” on Friday, March 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. at D&R Greenway’s Johnson Education Center, One Preservation Place, in Princeton.
The two organizations have teamed up for a night of entertainment featuring the Parnell Irish Band, humorous storytelling, Irish country dancing, and even singalongs by the fire pit.
“Guests are encouraged to wear green and experience a pub-style setting while enjoying beer, wine, and a light pub supper,” the press release continues, while other opportunities include a silent auction of “unique items” in support of Voices Chorale NJ.
Tickets are $65 per person with limited seating. To purchase a seat, visit drgreenway.org, voiceschoralenj.org, or call 609-924-4646.
The Parnell Irish Band plays both modern and traditional instruments, bringing guitar, drums, and fiddling to enliven the event and entice the crowd into joining.
For a list of the band’s musical selections or more information, see esteemlivemusic.com/live-music-bands/international-live-music-bands/parnell-irish-band.
Voices Chorale NJ is a nonprofit, auditioned chorus based in Hopewell with about 40 members from central New Jersey and Pennsylvania, headed by artistic director Dr. David A. McConnell, “to bring outstanding music to the public, inspire audiences, and provide performance opportunities for singers and local musicians.”
D&R Greenway Land Trust, which bases many of its conservation programs at the Johnson Education Center, has preserved over 22,000 acres of land throughout the central New Jersey region, protecting green space, wildlife, and natural resources as a leading environmental stewardship organization since 1989.
Over the years, D&R Greenway has spawned other groups, such as the New Jersey Trails Association and the Friends for the Abbott Marshlands, in its ongoing efforts to connect the climate and community statewide.
Celebrate the Green, D&R Greenway Land Trust, 1 Preservation Place, Princeton. March 15, 6 to 9 p.m. Price: $65 per person. drgreenway.org or voiceschoralenj.org.
Joshua Harr Shane Foundation’s St. Patrick’s Day Party
As both an annual fundraiser and cocktail party for the nonprofit organization, the Joshua Harr Shane Foundation’s “St. Patrick’s Day Party,” held every year at the Mercer Oaks Golf Course in West Windsor, features Irish music, an open bar, a four-course dinner, green beer, and four hours of festive fun to support a cause on Saturday, March 16, from 7 to 11 p.m.
Established in 2000 by Judith Harr Shane to honor the legacy of her late son, the JHSF provides financial assistance to family caregivers for medical expenses by navigating the process for them and raising money to pay the sources of each bill directly.
Through a partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton, JHSF has opened four rooms on site, most recently the Joshua Harr Shane Patient Evaluation Suites at the Cancer Center at RWJ Hamilton, its fourth project thus far, in November 2022.
Tickets are $115 per person and include a choice of chicken, steak, or fish. Guests are encouraged to wear green.
To register, see the EventBrite page for the event, eventbrite.com/e/st-patricks-day-party-tickets-807028843997?aff=erelexpmlt.
Joshua Harr Shane Foundation’s St. Patrick’s Day Party, Mercer Oaks Golf Course, 725 Village Road West, West Windsor. Saturday, March 16, 7 to 11 p.m. Price: $115. www.joshuaharrshane.org.
Celtic Woman’s 20th Anniversary Tour
State Theatre New Jersey presents Celtic Woman: 20th Anniversary Tour on Saturday, March 16, at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $49 to $129.
In the 20 years since their debut, Celtic Woman has introduced some of Ireland’s most talented singers and musicians to the world stage.
Celtic Woman comprises four young Irish women whose performing skills bring centuries of musical and cultural tradition to life. The group’s repertoire encompasses Irish classics, contemporary songs, classical favorites, and stirring originals. In concert, their angelic voices and instrumental virtuosity are accompanied by a robust ensemble that includes Irish dancers, bagpipers, and a full band playing an array of traditional Celtic instruments, including bodhrán, tin whistle, bouzouki, and Uilleann pipes.
The current lineup includes soprano Mairéad Carlin, a former member who joins the show for this very special anniversary tour; soprano Muirgen O’Mahony; fiddle and Irish harp maestro Tara McNeill; and the multi-talented Emma Warren, who has previously toured with Riverdance.
State Theater New Jersey, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. www.stnj.org.
St. Patrick’s Day at the Winery
Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day at Terhune Orchards with toe tapping Irish tunes by Bill O’Neal & Mary as part of its winery’s weekend music series. Enjoy Terhune wines, tasting flights, and mulled wine, with savory delights are available to accompany the wines.
The winery is open from noon to 5 p.m., and live music plays from 1 to 4 p.m. No outside food or pets are allowed, and reservations are required for tables of eight or more.
Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Lawrence. www.terhuneorchards.com.
