St. Patrick's Day Events 2012, 3-12-12

Positively Pittsburgh Live!

St. Patrick's Day Events 2012

Guests:

Tim Santoro, Owner Barley's & Hop's

Terry Griffith, Parade committee and reviewing stand announcer 

St. Patrick's Day Party In The Tent 
Barley's & Hop's Beer Cafe

5217 Library Rd., Bethel Park PA 15102

(412) 854-4253

Tim Santoro with his beer shelf

Barley's & Hop's is a beer bottle shop with a huge selection of beer from the USA and around the world, also 12 draft selections. The beer is available for take out or can be consumed in the comfortable coffee house like atmosphere.


Tim Santoro has been selling beer for the past 11 years, first when he owned a distributor, then at a beer bar in downtown Pittsburgh, then Barley's opened in December of 1996.

Tim is passionate about beer, even holding private samplings and tastings to small and large groups educating them about beer.He has also been a home brewer for 15 years and understands most everything about beer.

Friday, March 16^th- 6pm – Charity Event in the Tent supporting Vests for Officers, started by 13 year old Alyssa Parham. The charity raises money for police officers that cant afford to buy bullet proof vests. Live entertainment, food and beer with part of the proceeds going toward the charity, also a Chinese auction with all of the proceeds going toward the charity.

Saturday, March 17^th – 11 am – Party in the Tent with cold beer, live music and hot food. No cover charge, customers can move back and forth freely from the tent to inside the café.

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St Patrick’s Day Parade

Terry Griffith

Terry Griffith has been performing Irish ballads in local Irish pubs as well as performances at Irish festivals, Renaissance Faires and fundraisers all over the U.S. for over 3 decades.

His music reflects his Irish heritage and his experiences in Ireland and appeals to the Irish-Americans who look beyond the stereotypical to the true essence of being Irish.

His work with Irish organizations and the Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade committee earned him the honor of Grand Marshall for the parade in 1999. He is currently the chairman of the Marching Bands Committee for the parade and also does PR for the parade as well as for many Irish events in Pittsburgh. Visit Terry's website here. 

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Parade Highlights

Photo by Bonnie Cousins, 2011

Pittsburgh’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place on Saturday, March 17, 2012, with the same parade route it’s followed the past two years, featuring over 23,000 participants from Pittsburgh-area marching bands, politicians, and a host of Irish-heritage groups.  The event begins at 10 a.m., with the route stretching from the intersection of Liberty Avenue and 11^th Street (Greyhound Bus Station), to the review stand located Downtown on the Boulevard of the Allies at Stanwix Street.


The event celebrates Pittsburgh’s Irish heritage and is normally attended by 150,000 - 200,000 people, all “Irish for the day.”  On the rare warm sunshine-filled parade day, as many as 250,000 have attended the event, which for some serves as a kickoff to a weeklong St. Patrick’s Day observances.


The parade has enjoyed a 142-year history in the city, having occurred non-stop since 1950.  Many Pittsburghers remember that not even a blizzard in 1993 was able to keep Pittsburgh’s Irish from marching on.  According to U.S. Census data, more Pittsburghers claim Irish heritage than any other ethnic group in a region known as a “melting pot” of ethnicity.Event officials have said that Pittsburgh’s is the second-largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the United States, behind New York City.  


The 2012 St. Patrick’s Day Parade will feature nearly 200 marching units, including 18 bands, floats, several police, fire and emergency service agencies, along with many groups from Pittsburgh’s Irish and other ethnic communities.  The highlight of the parade is the appearance of Pittsburgh’s Miss Smiling Irish Eyes 2012, and St. Patrick himself..

Miss Smiling Irish Eyes Queen for 2012 is Mary Kate Gallagher.  She is the daughter of Michael and Marlea Gallagher of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.  Mary Kate is a senior at Our Lady of Sacred Heart High School in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, where she is an Honor Roll student.  She has lettered in Volleyball, Cheerleading and is Team Captain of her school’s Track & Field Team.

For the second straight year, the Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee will host its “Irish Fair in the Square,” a fun-filled celebration in Market Square where many of the 100,000-plus St. Patrick’s Day Parade-goers can gather in a family-friendly atmosphere during the Parade.

The Irish Fair in the Square will feature music from Celtic Shores, the Montour High School Drum Line, the River City Brass Band and River City Youth Brass, and the McDonald Pipe Band. Activities will include members of the Pittsburgh Busker street performer group and face painting for the little leprechauns.  

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Natalie Macmaster & Pittsburgh Symphony Pops Orchestra

Natalie MacMaster

Heinz Hall , 3/15/2012 through 3/18/2012 

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in style with internationally-renowned fiddler Natalie MacMaster as she joins the Pittsburgh Symphony Pops Orchestra. For show times and tickets, call (412) 392-4900.

St. Patrick's Day Rocker With Rusted Root
Gateway Clipper Fleet (Station Square)

3/16/2012 8 pm

Get a head start on celebrating St. Patrick's Day with a rocking cruise along the city's magnificent three rivers with the help of Rusted Root.

Rusted Root

Rusted Root is a local multi-instrumentalist band that performs jam-heavy rock with percussion influences based on the music of Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. For more information, call (412) 355-7980.

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Irish Fair In The Square
Market Square, 3/17/2012 10 am

Market Square

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day during and after the city's parade with performances by parade participants while enjoying all of the food and fun Pittsburgh's most historic public space has to offer.

Due to the City of Pittsburgh's open container statutes and the Parade Committee's desire to foster this family-friendly event, adult beverages will only be available within private establishments and will not be a part of this public event. Presented by the Irish Society For Education & Charity, Inc. For more information, call Pat O'Brien at (412) 977-8991.

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Go For The Green Golf Scramble

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa 

3/17/2012 12 pm

Get into the swing of St. Patrick's Day with a four-man scramble on the Back 9 of the resort's golf course. Immediately following the scramble, there's fun for all the Irish at the resort's WildSide Bar with a party featuring a buffet, drink specials and music by disc jockey Kingfish.

The fee is just $20 per player with one-half of all proceeds being donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters Of The Laurel Region. For more information about the party, please contact Julie King at (724) 329-6279. To register for the scramble, contact Will Clinch at (724) 329-6457.

Pittsburgh Bagpiper Seán O’Donnell 

Sean O'Donnell

Call Sean for your St. Patrick's Day celebration! 

For rate quotes and availability, contact him  online or by phone at

(412) 298-8782.

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This was reported as a reproduction of PositvelyPittsburghLive news done by Joanne Quinn-Smith. (c) Joanne Quinn-Smith and PositivelyPittsburghLive(TM) 2012 All rights reserved.

Listen to the show here.

Tara Darazio is a Positively Pittsburgh Live reporter, an independent copywriter, blogger, article writer, and social media strategist. If you are in need of writing assistance, or need help with your social media efforts connect with Tara on LinkedIn here.