After COVID-19 cancellations, Twin Cities pubs and parades prepare for St. Patrick's Day revival

Two years ago, Pat Boemer was gearing up for what have always been the busiest two days of the year at Patrick McGovern's Pub in St. Paul: St. Patrick's Day and the pre-holiday LuckyPalooza block party.

But the world was buzzing with concerns about the novel coronavirus that had recently spread to the United States. The 2020 LuckyPalooza, held on a Saturday, was packed. Two days later, Gov. Tim Walz ordered all bars and restaurants to close for dine-in service, Boemer remembers.

"I did about one-one-hundredth of the St. Patrick's Day business I would normally do," the owner of the W. 7th Street pub said.

Now, businesses and organizers are preparing for what they hope is a turning point in a pandemic that has dealt a massive financial blow to bars, restaurants and events.

Perhaps it's the luck of the Irish, some mused, but warming weather, the lifting of mask mandates and plummeting COVID-19 cases have stoked anticipation ahead of St. Patrick's Day, that the holiday could spark a revival of sorts, bringing throngs of people decked in green to the Twin Cities parades and pubs.

St. Paul: Parade route reversed

"We're coming back in a really big way," said Katie Martin, president of the St. Patrick's Association, which organizes St. Paul's annual parade. The parade was canceled in 2020 and held as a drive-by event in 2021.

The beloved holiday tradition, which draws thousands of spectators to Minnesota's capital city, will look slightly different this year. The parade route will be reversed, starting in Rice Park and ending near Mears Park for an event at CHS Field featuring live music, Irish dancing and concessions.

The parade starts at noon on March 17 and the after-party — dubbed the Ballpark Hooley and sponsored by Guinness — begins at 12:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $5 in advance or $10 at the door, and there's also a $40 VIP luncheon option.

Minneapolis: A move north

The Minneapolis St. Patrick's Day Association is also planning to bring back its parade after a two-year hiatus — but with a twist. Instead of marching downtown, festivities will be held March 17 in Columbia Heights, starting at 6 p.m. at the intersection of NE. 40th Avenue and Van Buren Street. The parade will conclude at John P. Murzyn Hall, where attendees can pay $10 for admission to the Blarney Blast with Irish dancers, live music and a buffet.

Sean Clerkin, president of the Minneapolis association, said the Columbia Heights Lions Club and VFW offered sponsorships after helping with a smaller event held in place of a parade last March.

"[The parade] could move back to Minneapolis eventually," Clerkin said. "It's just that it's hard to turn down some strong sponsors at this time."

Businesses make plans

At Camp Bar in St. Paul, owner Bill Collins said he won't be serving Guinness on St. Patrick's Day as a small act of protest in response to the parade reversal, which he worries will draw business away from the W. 7th area. Collins said while the holiday isn't a huge day for his bar, he feels for many of his peers who suffered big hits when their 2020 plans were abruptly shut down.

"It just seemed like an unfortunate thing for a place that's already been beat up pretty bad," he said.

But Boemer, who has owned Patrick McGovern's for 40 years, isn't worried. He's just hoping they get lucky with Minnesota's unpredictable March weather.

"A lot of these young people, they've been cooped up for a year or two. They'll be out," he said.

St. Paul will not block off W. 7th for its LuckyPalooza block party — usually held the weekend before St. Patrick's Day — this year, but many area restaurants are planning their own celebrations for Saturday. Patrick McGovern's will have a parking lot tent and DJ like it has in the past, said Boemer, who added that the costs of closing down the street have risen over the years.

"Some businesses can't afford that right now," he said. "Someday we'll probably do it again, but it's not going to be this year."

Martin, the parade organizer, said the new route could draw more business to the Lowertown area. And there is plenty of time following the afternoon parade to head to other St. Paul restaurants and bars, she added.

"In a way, I think this holiday almost bookends things," Martin said. "Canceling the parade in 2020 was this realization that this COVID thing was real and it's here. And I think having this parade now is making people feel like they're getting back to a sense of normalcy again."