Alright, collegiettes, it’s that time of year again. The pinnacle of post-secondary debauchery is here; St. Patrick’s Day. Irish or not, this is a day of drinking for all of us. St. Patrick’s 2014 might fall on a Monday, but that means a whole extra weekend to spend warming up for the main event. In our nation’s capital city, there’s no shortage of 19+ activities.
Keggers and House Parties:
We’ll start with the basics. Since bars aren’t open during the day and St. Patrick’s is traditionally an all-day event, there are tons of keggers and house parties around, particularly in Sandy Hill, the school’s student ghetto. You’re looking at around a $10 entrance fee, but for all-you-can-drink beer, that’s a pretty good deal for us broke college kids. Make sure you get there before the kegs are tapped out! On Monday, ACACIA and Sigma Chi fraternities are joining forces to present “Irish Today, Hungover Tomorrow” to bring together the biggest party animals from Carleton and uOttawa – nothing to better bring together two rival schools like a couple of kegs.
The Market:
Of course, where else would you be on a weekend night, St. Patricks Day or not? Tons of bars in the Byward Market, mostly on George and York Streets are packed full of events. Green Room Ottawa promises green beer in green buckets in the Green Room until you’re ‘puking green’. Tequila Jacks Ottawa promises the typical level of rowdiness you’d expect, plus green drinks all night long. Junxion Public House is presenting their annual St. Patrick’s Day party, “I-Rish I was Irish”, and on Monday uOttawa’s CASCO is fundraising for CHEO with a pub night there. These are just to name a few, but St. Paddy’s Day in the market is always a good time that you definitely want to be a part of.
Pub Crawls:
Not for the faint of heart, pub crawls require commitment and dedication to the cause. These are all-night events where you’ll be introduced to the finest of the Ottawa establishments with some of the most experienced partiers the city has to offer. On Sunday, our school’s resident ‘Spirit Club’, the Jockey Club, is having a pub crawl starting at the on-campus Draft Pub and ending at Green Room. On Monday night, Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity is having their third-annual “SAMMY St. Patty’s Day Pub Crawl”, starting at Pub 101 and ending at Green Room. However you choose to spend the St. Patrick’s Day weekend, remember that it’s a luxury reserved for your undergraduate years – come graduation, you’ll have obligations and adulthood to worry about. Drink responsibly, collegiettes!