St. Patrick's Day won't be here until next Thursday, but the party really starts on Saturday. Snake Saturday, the annual Irish celebration in the Northland, is tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The theme of the 27th festival is "The Irish Rock." It's a combination parade (which starts at 11 a.m. at 14th and Swift), car show and food festival. The fairgrounds are between Armour Road and 18th Avenue, and Fayette and Howell streets.
The 31st annual Brookside St. Patrick's Day Warm-Up Parade kicks off at 2 p.m. The theme is Going Green in Brookside, which will be reflected in the annual procession of floats, classic cars and tricked-out bicycles.
It's a Second Friday fundraiser at Sol Cantina (408 East 31st Street), where a $15 donation gets you free appetizers and drinks from 6 to 8 p.m. Bring five friends and you get in free. The proceeds go to the Ozanam Guild.
You could have fancy eggs or you could have brunch in a castle. Why not both? Brunch is back on Sundays at Caenan Castle (12401 Johnson Drive, in Shawnee). Brunch starts at 10 a.m. Feast on comfort dishes such as pound-cake french toast, biscuits and gravy, and chicken-fried steak. And the restaurant run by Renee Kelly is one of the few spots in town to get beignets. Afterward, head over to the Shawnee St. Patrick's Day Parade, which is just down the street and kicks off at 1 p.m.
The sixth annual Emerald Isle St. Patrick's Day Parade heads through downtown Lee's Summit on Saturday at 1 p.m. Afterward, you can continue stretching your legs, courtesy of a pub crawl that begins at 2 p.m. A $10 fee gets you a T-shirt and lanyard.
Even if you're not that into basketball, you may still believe in pre-gaming. The Pizza Bar (1320 Grand) has a P&L pre-game where you can get an open bar package (wells, calls and drafts) with unlimited pizza for $15 from 8 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Make a reservation by calling 816-799-2362.
