Weekend Warm-Up: March 13 – 15

My recommendations for something to do this weekend

Besides the Friday Night Fights at the Cincinnati Athletic Club, this weekend is all about the pre St. Patrick’s Day festivities downtown on Saturday and any recovery time needed on Sunday.

Below is a press release from Fountain Square Management for the St. Patrick’s Day stuff both Friday and Saturday.

Cincinnati may be a mostly German town, but we know how to celebrate St. Patrick's Day properly… a downtown parade and a party on Fountain Square!

This year the festivities start on Friday March 13 with a pre-party on the Square beginning at 5pm. Have a Guinness or two and enjoy live music from U2 cover band Joshua’s Tree followed by traditional Irish music by Pat Ewing & the Crick Gypsies at 7pm.

Then on Saturday March 14 it’s the big day! The 43rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and “O’Nati’s Irish Pub” on Fountain Square! The party begins at 10am. The Parade starts at 11am and ends around 1pm. The party on the Square continues until 9pm with live music, dancing, traditional food from McCormick & Schmick's, beer and soft drinks as well as Irish merchandise sold by Celtic Corner. The band lineup:

1:00 Unlucky Charms (Traditional Irish)
2:30 Pub Uglies (Traditional Irish)
4:00 The Seedy Seeds (Upbeat, Original with St Patty's Theme)
5:30 Joshua's Tree (A Tribute to U2)
7:30 The Serfs (Irish Punk)

"O’Nati’s Irish Pub" is sponsored by McCormick & Schmick's with support from Guinness, Bushmills and Baileys.

The event is free and open to the public. Food and beverages are available for purchase. Parking is available in the Fountain Square Garage. Cost is $4 for up to eight hours. The Fountain Square Garage may be accessed from Walnut Street all day on Saturday. The Vine Street entrance will close at 10:30 a.m. for the parade and re-open at 1 p.m.

The 2009 St. Patrick’s Day Parade, sponsored by the Cincinnati St. Patrick Parade committee, begins promptly at 11am at 5th and Sentinel streets. The route is new this year. It will travel west on 5th to Plum Street then south on Plum to 3rd Street. The route turns west on 3rd, ending at Central Avenue.

This year’s parade honors the 200th Anniversary of the founding of the Sisters of Charity.

Last weekend it was men in lederhosen, this week it is men in kilts. Man, I love a festival.