Some Irish Queens from TC's St. Patrick's Day Parade

By MIKE NORTON

OK, I admit it. I’m a sucker for all things Irish. I’m crazy for The Chieftains, Seamus Heaney, W.B. Yeats, Bushmill’s and Guinness - the first beer I ever drank that didn’t taste like water. And at least once a year I’m willing to eat corned beef and cabbage, work myself up into a passable tenor to sing “Danny Boy” and “The Minstrel Boy,” and sit around pretending that my heart is still in far County Mayo.

The one thing I could never figure out is why they planted this fine drinking holiday smack in the middle of Lent. I mean, what’s up with that?

Nevertheless, although Traverse City doesn’t have the claim to Celtic glory of Beaver Island, where they still spoke Gaelic well into the 20^th century, we’ve done all right by ourselves thanks to the Ancient Order of Hibernians, who’ve sponsored an annual parade and pub crawl here for years. This year, I’m glad to say, is no exception.

The festivities begin on Saturday the 13^th, when the St. Patrick’s Day Parade gets underway at Kilkenny’s Irish Public House at 1:30 in the afternoon. There’ll be music from the Wild Sullys afterward on the deck at North Peak Brewing. And that evening at 8 p.m. the Irish Comedy Tour makes its appearance at the City Opera House. This is a first - I’m told that it “takes the party atmosphere of a Dublin pub and combines it with a boisterous, belly-laugh trio” including Detroit native Derek Richards; Boston-born Mike McCarthy; and New Yorker Jim Paquette. It says the bar service will be available, which sounds only fitting and should make the jokes funnier. Tickets are $22. For more info, go to  www.cityoperahouse.org

Meanwhile, the folks at Shanty Creek Resorts will be holding their own Irish Weekend festivities, which will include their annual downhill Cardboard Classic Race down Schuss Mountain — in a sled you make yourself - as well as things like the Silly Slalom, Rope Race, Seal Slide, Slush Cup, and the annual Family NASTAR Challenge. The original Northern Michigan Cardboard Classic features an incredible variety of Cardboard racers. Past entries have included Harley Davidson motorcycles, Formula One cars, and Biplanes, all made from cardboard. Want to find our more? Go to www.shantycreek.com

Also, on Sunday evening, Kilkenny’s will host the annual Lucky Leprechaun Ball, a family-style charity benefit for the Father Fred Foundation - which surely justifies an automatic lifting of any Lenten austerities! It starts at 6 p.m. Admission is $10, but anyone under the age of 16 is admitted free of charge.

On Monday the 15^th there’s another big event at the City Opera House. It’s called Celtic Crossroads, and it’s a musical extravaganza brought to TC by the folks at Porterhouse Productions. Celtic Crossroads is doing for Irish music what Riverdance did for Irish dance. Last year, during their first US tour, they sold out every show. (And there’s a local act as well - the Grand Traverse Pipes & Drums will be playing with them for a few numbers.) Tickets are $22 in advance or $25 at the door. For more info go to www.PorterhouseProductions.com

Finally, on the day itself, Wednesday the 17^th, there’s that fine pub-crawling tradition. (I’m glad they ditched that brief politically correct “pub walk” or “pub tour” or whatever they were calling it.) The crawl will start at noon in Minerva’s at the Park Place Hotel and wander through several choice downtown locations.

Slainte!