Best Kingston Bar/Pub to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

The pointer on my thermometer has finally defrosted and moved from -20 to -5, icicles are dripping, the sun is shining, and hordes of people are preparing to come out of hibernation wearing their finest green jewels, bow ties and top hats. March is here and St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner.

While St. Pat’s tends to be a bit of a booze fest (ha, “a bit”) in downtown Kingston, there are lots of ways to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland that don’t involve consuming copious amounts of green beer. The Kingston Irish Folk Club hosts numerous events for the whole week leading up to the 17th, including sing-alongs, Irish dance, bodhran and tin whistle workshops, and Celtic jam sessions, all at the Tir nan Og. While these events are well-loved and well-attended, the reality remains that St. Pat’s is, for the most part, a great excuse to go out and get tipsy in the middle of the day/week.

Kingston is a university/college town and with that comes the raucous celebrating that is so commonly tied to St. Pat’s. Whether we like it or not, the main theme of the day in downtown Kingston is the wearing – and the drinking – of the green. The big question is, where do we celebrate? With so many bars and restaurants in Kingston – many of which get in on the St. Pat’s celebrations, Irish or not – how do we choose where we want to spend our day as honourary Irish(wo)men? Many things need to be considered when deciding how the day will go. Is there live music? Are there Irish specials on the menu? Are they serving green beer and/or Guinness? These are all very deep, thought-provoking questions. This week we want to know:

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So, how did you vote and why? What makes the perfect St. Pat’s destination in your mind? Is it all about live music? The drinks and food being served? Perhaps it’s essential for you to celebrate in an authentic Irish pub. Tell us your criteria for the perfect St. Pat’s celebration in Kingston.

Thanks to Brendan Lynch for today’s pic.