by Tim Froberg
St. Patrick’s Day is Always Big in Fox Cities
St. Patrick’s Day is an eagerly awaited global event that is part shout-out to an important man and part shenanigans.
It’s a not-so-wee day when religion and revelry intersect, honoring the patron saint of Ireland and celebrating Irish culture.
Get your green on, Appleton, because another St. Patrick’s Day drops March 17: the day the fifth-century missionary and bishop died.
St. Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday in Ireland, but it has morphed into an international celebration of all things Irish. St. Patrick’s Day is especially big in the United States: a party day when Guinness is guzzled by the keg, and corned beef and cabbage are consumed in mass quantities.
There will be dining, drinking, and Irish music in restaurants and taverns from Dublin to Darboy.
Oh, and you better be wearing green, or those nasty leprechauns might pinch you.
Here’s a look at this colorful holiday.
ST. PARICK WASN’T REALLY A SNAKE SLAYER
Why do we honor St. Patrick? Because the holy man was among the first to bring Christianity to Ireland. What’s interesting is that he wasn’t of Irish descent, and his real name wasn’t Patrick. It was Maewyn Succat, who was born in Great Britain, kidnapped by pirates at the age of 16, and taken as a slave to Ireland. He escaped after six years, returned to Great Britain, and eventually resurfaced in Ireland, where he began preaching Christianity and building churches. He eventually changed his name to Patricius after becoming a priest.
The most common story about St. Patrick is that he chased the snakes out of Ireland. It makes for an awesome tale, but modern science tells us that it’s bogus. Ireland has always been far too cold for snakes to exist, and no fossil records of serpents have ever been found.
PINCHING PRANKSTERS
Leprechauns are also linked to St. Pat’s Day, but the diminutive troublemakers are about as real as Irish snakes. Leprechauns were fairies in Irish folklore that originated from eighth-century stories and are often depicted as mischievous pranksters.
According to Irish tradition, wearing green on St. Pat’s Day will prevent you from being pinched by leprechauns. Even though St. Patrick was depicted in medieval art wearing blue robes, green has long been considered Ireland’s official color. That’s due to the island’s lush green landscape, the green stripe on the Irish flag, and Ireland’s fascination with the shamrock: a three-leaf clover that serves as the symbol of Ireland.
HAVE SOME WHISKEY IN A JAR
Prepare to hear traditional Irish songs like Danny Boy or When Irish Eyes Are Smiling if you’re hitting a bar with live music. You might even hear my favorite, Whiskey in a Jar. It’s a traditional Irish folk song dating back to the 1600s that tells a timeless tale of robbery, betrayal, and incarceration. The song has been covered by numerous bands and singers throughout the years, but no one does it better, in my opinion, than rockers Metallica.
HAVE ONE FOR MATT
If you’re hoisting a Guinness or a shot of Irish whiskey, raise your glass to Matt Miller, the former owner of McGuinness Irish Pub. Miller, who passed away unexpectedly two years ago, was the founder of Irish Fest of the Fox Cities and helped many folks in the Appleton area embrace and celebrate the Irish culture.
AND ONE FOR PAT
Another individual whom I’ll always remember on St. Pat’s Day is Pat O’Donahue, a former colleague of mine at the Green Bay News Chronicle, where I launched my journalism career. Pat was a character. He was a colorful old-school news reporter who smoked a pipe, wore garish suits that he often bought at rummage sales (and bragged about what great deals he received), and was the office know-it-all, offering unsolicited, off-the-wall information on practically every subject available. Whenever I asked him a question, his initial reply was always: “I didn’t do it.” But Pat was a wonderful man and a joy to interact with. He was immensely proud of his Irish heritage and always strolled into the office on St. Pat’s Day wearing a bright lime green suit and full of stories of St. Patrick and the Irish culture.
Where to Go
Most local bars and restaurants have celebrations on either St. Patrick’s Day — which falls on a Tuesday — or the weekend before or after it.
Mark’s East Side will continue its tradition of hosting its annual St. Patrick’s Day party on March 17.
The popular restaurant will cook up 2,000 pounds of corned beef and serve corned beef and cabbage on Saturday, March 15, and on St. Patrick’s Day. Mark’s will offer live music on St. Patrick’s Day. The first band performs from 2-5 p.m., and Sheamus Fitzpatrick and the McNally Boys follow from 6-9 p.m. Doors open at 10:30 a.m.
“A lot of places like to do it on the weekend, but it’s such a tradition here to have it right on St. Patrick’s Day,” said Mark’s owner, Alex Shea. “Many of our regulars take the day off, and it’s an all-day celebration.”
Michiels Bar and Grill, Spat’s, and Emmett’s Bar and Grill are additional Appleton hot spots that do it up big on St. Pat’s Day.
“We order about 1,000 pounds of corned beef, and it takes time and effort, but it’s a tradition we enjoy keeping alive,” said Spats co-owner Nick Kapheim.
Emmett’s also serves corned beef and cabbage and offers various prizes and giveaways, including a trip to Las Vegas.
“We feel we make the best corned beef and cabbage for the best price in the area,” said Emmett’s owner, Sharon Reader. “Almost everyone who walks in wins a prize. It’s nice to see everyone celebrating the day.”
New London will continue its week-long Irish celebration.
The biggest day will be March 21 with a 90-minute, 100-plus-unit parade starting at 1 p.m. Check out the New Dublin Irish Fest in the downtown area from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sheamus Fitzpatrick and the McNally Boys play from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by Reilly from 1-6 p.m.
This article was originally published in the March 2026 issue of Appleton Monthly Magazine.
