St. Patrick's Day | ARLnow.com

Clarendon’s Shamrock Crawl Returns After Hiatus

Published February 12, 2018 at 2:45PM | Updated March 8, 2018 at 1:21PM

2015 Shamrock Crawl in Clarendon (photo courtesy ACPD)

The Shamrock Crawl is returning to Clarendon after a one-year hiatus, with at least nine confirmed bars participating in the bar-hopping bonanza.

Project DC Events, the crawl’s organizer, is now selling tickets for their March 10 bar crawl, with ticket prices as low as $15 listed on the website. The tickets come with a refillable shamrock mug and cover-free access to Mister days, Pamplona, Whitlow’s on Wilson, Courthaus Social, among other bars. Additional party favors, a raffle, event pictures, and food deals are included in the ticket price.

The company also organizes a sister event in Washington’s Dupont Circle.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 17, 2017 at 9:30AM

Arlington’s Irish Bars on St. Patrick’s Day — Today is St. Patrick’s Day and that of course means that Guinness will be flowing like water at Arlington’s half dozen Irish pubs. Among them: The Celtic House on Columbia Pike (recently lauded by Yelp and Travel + Leisure), Samuel Beckett’s in Shirlington, Ireland’s Four Courts in Courthouse, O’Sullivan’s in Clarendon, P. Brennan’s on Columbia Pike and Sine Irish Pub on Pentagon Row.

Arlington’s High-Earning Millennials — “Arlington has more millennials with a household income of $350,000 or more than any other jurisdiction in the country, with 8.7 percent of millennials among that wealthy cohort.” [Washington Post]

Donaldson Run Neighborhood Profiled — “Tracy and Jeremy Penfield bought their first house in Donaldson Run in Arlington County because they liked the location and the price. After living close to Metro for almost a decade, they welcomed the hilly, wooded neighborhood, which is largely car-oriented.” [Washington Post]

WeWork Creator’s Awards — WeWork, which has both co-working and co-living space at an office building in Crystal City, is giving out $20 million in grant awards to creators around the world, including here in the D.C. area. Applications to pitch an idea in D.C. are due this coming Monday. [WeWork]

Arlington Bar Named No. 1 Destination for St. Patrick’s Day

By ARLnow.com

Published March 10, 2017 at 4:35PM

The Celtic House Irish Pub & Restaurant on Columbia Pike is the No. 1 place in the U.S. to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, at least according to online review site Yelp.

The pub, at 2500 Columbia Pike, has a stellar 4.6 star rating on Yelp, leading to its selection at the top of the “50 Best Bars in the U.S. To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day” list.

“Yelp determined the list by first identifying bars frequently reviewed with the word ‘Irish,’ and then ranking the establishments by ratings and the number of reviews,” said Travel + Leisure, which published the list.

Police to Lead Anti-DUI Effort On St. Patrick’s Day Weekend

By Chris Teale

Published March 10, 2017 at 1:15PM

Arlington police will be out in force next weekend during the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, reminding revelers not to drink and drive.

The interactive “Don’t Press Your Luck” event will highlight the impact alcohol has on motor skills, and is free. It will be hosted at the intersection of N. Hudson Street and Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 18.

Police will close Hudson Street from Wilson Boulevard to 13th Street N. from noon until 9 p.m. to accommodate the event. Temporary “No Parking” signs will be up, and illegally parked motorists could be ticketed or towed.

The event is part of a push by local police to remind partygoers of the dangers of drink-driving. According to data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, between 2011 and 2015, 252 people died in car crashes during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday in the United States.

Earlier this week, ride-hailing app Lyft announced it will partner with SoberRide to provide free and safe transportation home during the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the D.C. region.

In addition to next week’s event, tonight (Friday) Arlington County Police will be trying out another initiative aimed at Clarendon bar-goers: blocking off some of the parking spots on Clarendon Blvd to create a pickup zone for Uber and Lyft riders.

From ACPD:

On Friday, March 10, 2017 the Arlington County Police Department is conducting a pilot program in Clarendon providing a designated rideshare pickup location. Motorists should be on the lookout for temporary no parking signs in the 3100 block of Wilson Boulevard beginning at approximately 11:00 p.m. Illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed or towed. If your vehicle is towed from a public street, call 703-558-2222.

SoberRide to Switch from Cabs to Lyft Starting on St. Patrick’s Day

By Chris Teale

Published March 6, 2017 at 2:30PM

The region’s anti-DUI free ride service is switching from taxicabs to ride-hailing service Lyft, starting this St. Patrick’s Day.

Officials with nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program announced the new partnership last week. Lyft, a competitor of market leader Uber, will provide the SoberRide service throughout the D.C. region through the end of the year.

The free St. Patrick’s Day Lyft rides begin at 4 p.m. on Friday, March 17, and continue until 4 a.m. on Saturday, March 18.

During the 12-hour period, area residents aged 21 or older can enter the code SOBERRIDE in the Lyft app’s “Promo” section to receive safe transportation home worth up to $20 for free. The code is valid for new and existing Lyft users.

Lyft will also donate $1 to WRAP for each new Lyft customer using the SoberRide code in 2017.

“We are excited to partner with WRAP in providing safe, reliable transportation to area residents,” said Steve Taylor, general manager of Lyft’s D.C. area office hub in Crystal City, in a statement. “Lyft is committed to improving access to transportation and reducing drunk driving.”

Previously, the SoberRide program partnered with local taxi firms, including with Red Top Cab of Arlington, to provide free rides. WRAP president Kurt Gregory Erickson did not respond to requests for further comment on the switch. Just over 330 people in the D.C. region used the cab-based SoberRide service this past New Year’s Eve.

Besides Lyft, the sponsors of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide program include O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub in Clarendon and Sine Irish Pub in Pentagon Row.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one quarter of traffic deaths nationwide during the 2015 St. Patrick’s Day celebrations involved drunk drivers.

Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage said officers do a great deal of outreach to educate revelers of the risks involved in drinking and driving.

In previous years, Savage said, that outreach has coincided with the Shamrock Crawl bar-hopping event in Clarendon. But even with those festivities canceled this year, Savage said the outreach and education will continue.

“Anytime there are alcohol-related holidays, we always make a point to be extra cautious as officers for those driving under the influence,” she said.

Since 1993, the SoberRide program has provided 66,296 free safe rides home to would-be drunk drivers in the Greater Washington area.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 6, 2017 at 10:05AM

Wakefield Boys Fall in State Tourney — An outstanding season for the Wakefield boys basketball team ended Friday when the Warriors fell to Bethel 62-56 in the state tournament quarterfinals. The Lady Warriors also lost in the state quarterfinals last week. [Twitter, Daily Press]

Logistics May Have Sunk St. Pat’s Bar Crawl — There’s no St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl in Clarendon this year, and the reason may be due to logistics, not lack of interest. Organizers might have been able to get bars on board and their permit applications in on time, one police official suggests. [CityLab]

Volunteers Needed to Bag Meals — The Clarendon United Methodist Church is seeking volunteers to help “pack 20,000 meals for distribution around the world” on Saturday. [InsideNova]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 24, 2017 at 9:45AM

Superintendent Presents Proposed Budget — Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy presented his proposed, $617 million budget to the School Board last night. The budget includes $9.2 million for student enrollment growth and $8.7 million for teacher and staff pay increases. [Arlington Public Schools]

Wakefield Girls Advance to Regional Finals — With a semifinal win in Leesburg, the Wakefield High School girls basketball team has advanced to a regional championship game for the first time in the program’s history. They will play defending champs Edison tomorrow (Saturday) at Edison. The boys team, meanwhile, lost in the regional semifinals; both teams will also advance to the state tournament. [InsideNova, Facebook]

More on the County Budget — County Manager Mark Schwartz presented his proposed FY 2018 budget to the County Board Thursday afternoon. His budget presentation suggested that Arlington will make service delivery and customer service a priority in the upcoming fiscal year. Among the initiatives that may be coming soon: building a one-stop county permitting system and providing “virtual access to public meetings.” [PDF]

‘Blarney Blowout’ Coming to Arlington — The Shamrock Crawl bar crawl may not be coming back to Clarendon this year, but its organizers are planning a new event dubbed the Blarney Blowout. Four Clarendon and Courthouse bars are participating in the event, on the day after St. Patrick’s Day, featuring a “free all-you-can-eat breakfast Buffet, St. Paddy’s Day shenanigans, entertainment, party favors and more.” The event is “not your traditionally tame “kegs and eggs,” its website says. [Blarney Blowout]

Arlington St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness Guide 2016

By ARLnow.com

Published March 16, 2016 at 4:35PM | Updated March 17, 2016 at 4:02PM

If you like sports, beer and corned beef, tomorrow just may be the best day of the year.

Tomorrow is both St. Patrick’s Day and the start of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, better known as March Madness.

There will be more basketball and green beer this weekend, including the annual Shamrock Crawl bar crawl in Clarendon on Saturday, but below are a sampling of ten St. Paddy’s Day and March Madness-related events happening Thursday at bars and restaurants around Arlington.

Celtic House (2500 Columbia Pike) — The festivities start at 9 a.m. with a traditional Irish breakfast and lasts all day with Irish music from Pat Garvey, Irish dancers and March Madness on the TVs.
Ireland’s Four Courts (2051 Wilson Blvd) — As previously reported, Four Courts, which celebrated its 20th anniversary on Wednesday, will open at 9 a.m. for the usual St. Daddy’s festivities: live music all day and a heated tent in the back to help accommodate the crowds.
Mad Rose Tavern (3100 Clarendon Blvd) — Mad Rose will be open from 4 p.m.-2 a.m. and will be showing NCAA basketball games, serving green beer and giving away green beads. DJs will start spinning at 7 p.m. and the happy hour will run until 8.
A-Town Bar and Grill (4100 Fairfax Drive) — A-Town will be open at 11 a.m. for St. Patrick’s Day. NCAA games will be on TVs all around the establishment.
Iota Club and Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd) — Iota will be opening at 5 p.m. for their St. Patrick’s Day party, with rock and blues band Westmain taking the stage at 8 p.m.
O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub (3207 Washington Blvd) — O’Sullivan’s St. Paddy’s party will be kicking off bright and early at 8 a.m. with Irish dancers and a full live music lineup until 1:30 a.m.
P. Brennan’s Irish Pub (2910 Columbia Pike) — P. Brennan’s will be opening at 10 a.m. with all-day music and Irish dance.
Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub (2800 S. Randolph Street) — Shirlington’s airy Irish bar will open from 11 a.m.-2 a.m., with performances by Michael Darcy and the ShamrockRs.
Don Tito (3165 Wilson Blvd) — The party at the Don begins at 11 a.m. for brunch. NCAA basketball games will be on and a live DJ will be performing.
Copperwood Tavern (4021 Campbell Avenue) — Copperwood Tavern will be hosting a farm-to-table St. Patrick’s Day featuring special Irish menu items and gourmet craft cocktails.

Excluding Ri Ra, which has since closed, our list of Irish bars in Arlington should still be applicable for further St. Paddy’s research.

Update at 4 p.m. — Addition to the list above, Whitlow’s in Clarendon (2854 Wilson Blvd) will be holding a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The roof opened at 2 p.m., live Irish music started at 4, bagpipes will be played at 9 and a DJ will start spinning at 9:30.

Justin Funkhouser contributed to this report

#St. Patrick's Day

Free Cab Rides Offered for St. Patrick’s Day

By ARLnow.com

Published March 16, 2016 at 12:55PM

The regional SoberRide program will be offering free cab rides starting tomorrow afternoon for St. Patrick’s Day.

The free rides (up to a $30 fare) will begin at 4 p.m. Thursday and end at 4 a.m. Friday. Those wanting to take advantage of the program have to call the SoberRide hotline at 1-800-200-TAXI (8294) to book their ride.

SoberRide is sponsored by alcohol companies, cab companies and a number of other brands and local organizations, with the goal of reducing drunk driving on local roads.

“During the evening hours immediately following the 2014 St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, nearly half of all U.S. traffic fatalities involved drunk drivers,” noted Kurt Erickson of the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program.

From a WRAP press release:

Preparing to combat that time of year when, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly half of all U.S. traffic deaths are caused by drunk drivers*, free cab rides will be offered to would-be drunk drivers throughout Arlington County, Virginia on Thursday, March 17, 2016 (St. Patrick’s Day).

Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the 2016 St. Patty’s Day SoberRide® program will be in operation beginning at 4:00 pm on Thursday, March 17(St. Patrick’s Day) and continue until 4:00 am on Friday, March 18 as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk holiday.

During this 12-hour period, area residents celebrating with alcohol may call the toll-free SoberRide® phone number 1-800-200-TAXI(8294) and be afforded a no-cost (up to a $ 30 fare), safe way home. AT&T wireless customers can dial #WRAP for the same service.

Local taxicab companies throughout the Washington-metropolitan area provide this no-cost service to local residents age 21 and older who otherwise may have attempted to drive home after drinking.

“During the evening hours immediately following the 2014 St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, nearly half of all U.S. traffic fatalities involved drunk drivers,” said Kurt Gregory Erickson, WRAP’s President.

SoberRide® is offered in the District of Columbia; throughout the Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s; and throughout the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, (eastern) Loudoun and Prince William.

(more…)

Rosslyn Hosting Pop-Up Beer Garden Today

By Ethan Rothstein

Published March 17, 2015 at 10:00AM

Rosslyn workers can enjoy a beer outside this afternoon in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

Today from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., the Rosslyn Business Improvement District is hosting its second ever pop-up beer garden, in the plaza at the corner of 19th Street and N. Moore Streets.

“In a busy urban area like Rosslyn with a large amount of pedestrians walking around, pop-up events like this do well since they maximize open space, grab attention and present something new and exciting,” Rosslyn BID President Mary-Claire Burick told ARLnow.com in an email. “With Plaza on 19th, an area that was previously just sidewalk, we now have a great space to regularly hold events like these.”

The beer will be a collection of Irish favorites like Guinness and Magners cider along with some craft beer selections, provided by the Washington Wine Academy. All of the beers will be $5.

The food will be served by the Urban Bumpkin BBQ truck, an Asian and barbecue fusion staple of the Rosslyn food truck lineup. Playing music during the whole event will be Rew Smith, a “pop/rock singer-songwriter” from Maryland.

Last year’s Oktoberfest beer garden — the first at the new plaza — drew more than 600 people, and event organizers are hoping the holiday and the warm weather will draw an even bigger crowd today. The BID will be passing out green koozies as a bonus for beer drinkers.

File photo

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 17, 2015 at 9:25AM

Happy St. Patrick’s Day — Looking for a place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day today? Take a look at the list of Arlington Irish bars we compiled last month. [ARLnow]

Ted Cruz in Arlington Tonight — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) is scheduled to make an appearance tonight at an event at Sobe Bar and Bistro in Clarendon. The event is being hosted by former Va. Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, former lieutenant governor candidate Pete Snyder and the Alexandria-based Disruptor Fund. [Facebook]

NYT On Arlington’s Streetcar Cancellation — The New York Times interviewed Arlington County Board members Jay Fisette and John Vihstadt for an article today entitled “Streetcar Revival Is Wavering in Some Cities.” In addition to Arlington’s streetcar cancellation, the article examines D.C.’s troubles in getting its streetcar line operational. [New York Times]

WeWork Revises Crystal City Plan — The coworking office company WeWork, which has been planning to open microunit apartments in an older Crystal City office building, as part of its new WeLive brand, has revised its plan. WeWork and building owner Vornado are now seeking county permission to build two floors of offices in the building. [Washington Business Journal]

Concept for Abingdon Elementary Revealed — Arlington Public Schools staff have presented plans for a 27,000 square foot expansion of Abingdon Elementary School in Fairlington. The project is expected to cost $29 million and be complete in time for the 2017-2018 school year. [InsideNova]