6 Best Places to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Hawaii
The vibrant blue waters of Hawaii take on an emerald green hue on this day and Aloha is replaced with Slainte! The menehune give way to the leprechauns. Guinness is the beer of choice and, if you’re lucky enough, you might find that four-leaf clover next to a pineapple. Here are a wide-range of celebrations taking place throughout the islands.
Murphy’s Bar & Grill, Honolulu, HI
For years, Murphy’s has hosted a block party where participants “get their Irish on.” It’s a sea of green throughout the streets. This year promises to be bigger than ever. Food will be served in the restaurant and adjacent parking lot beginning at 11 a.m. It’s a feast—corned beef and cabbage, steak sandwich, lamb shank and sweet chili salmon. The Keiki Fair for kids, beginning at noon, will have face painting, balloons, crafts and storytelling. The streets around the bar get closed at 4 p.m. for the rockin’ and rollin’ block party featuring live music, DJs and dancing. A portion of the money generated from the sale of corned beef during the week prior to the party will benefit the Hawaii Children’s Cancer Foundation.
Mulligan's on the Blue, Kihei, HI
The south coast of Maui is home to this indoor/outdoor dining experience. On St. Pat’s day, doors will open at 11 a.m. for first-come, first-served dining highlighting food and drink specials for the day. Live music begins at noon and will play until the evening’s end.
Annual Waikiki St. Patrick's Day Parade, Waikiki, HI
If you’ve always dreamed of being Irish for a day, march in this parade. It all begins at Fort DeRussy, then merrymakers wind their way down Kalakaua Avenue to Kapi’olani Park. Join marching bands, military groups, community organizations, school children and whimsical floats, allegedly powered by leprechauns, as you make your way through Waikiki. It all lasts about 90 minutes, but the festivities continue in the Park with live music and food.
Down the Hatch, Lahaina, HI
Named Best Bar with the Best Mixologist, as well as Best Late Night Food on the island, the festivities on St. Patrick’s Day are guaranteed to get you shamrocked. Known as a place to catch the luck of the Irish, the celebration features Irish beverages from Guinness to Bushmills shots to Gaelic lemonade and a sampling of Irish food favorites. Live music livens up the day. You might even hear some bagpipes at some point.
Hale Kau Kau, Kihei, HI
This non-profit provides a range of services to the South Maui Community including delivering meals to the homebound. Their annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner is a fundraiser; all proceeds go to support their programs. This year, attendees will feast on corned beef and cabbage while listening to the dulcet tones of Irish music. There’s a silent auction at which you might just find a lucky shamrock. Tickets available on line.
SALT at Our Kaka’Ako, Honolulu, HI
Celebrate Hawaiian culture at this epicenter of local food, shopping and innovative events. It’s 85,000 square-feet of curated retail, restaurant and mixed-use space that covers a city block. This year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration takes place on Saturday with the return of the SALT Bar Crawl and Block Party. Guinness will be on tap, as will authentic Irish music performed by 3 Leaf Clover. Pick up a SALT Bar Crawl Passport, get in stamped at participating businesses and you can enter to win a prize at the SALT spin wheel of giveaways.
