Luck ‘O the Irish, Y’all: St. Patrick’s Celebrations in the South

Okay, so while the real St. Patrick’s Day isn’t until March 17, that doesn’t stop places from celebrating early. Even in the South.

If you can’t make it to Savannah, Ga., or any other place that’s known for their celebration, don’t worry, because there’s a lot of events to choose from around the region.

• Green fudge, green waterfall – oh my! Rock City in Lookout Mountain, Ga., (map) becomes Shamrock City this weekend. The festival features a line-up of Irish musicians, specialty foods and more including the abovementioned green fudge and green waterfall. When asked how exactly green fudge is made, the gnomes weren’t forthcoming, but did say is it vanilla-flavored and is made only for Shamrock City. Rocky the Elf is responsible for turning the waterfall green using a green dye and a magical potion. Shamrock City runs Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Charlotte, N.C., draws quite a crowd for their parade and festival. Happening on Saturday, the 14-year-old event kicks off at 10 a.m. with opening of the free festival that ends at 6 p.m. The parade takes place at 11 a.m.  Have young ones? Be sure to let them visit the Celtic Kids Zone that’s filled with all types of fun children’s activities.
• Not only will “Irish eyes be smiling,” but all eyes at the 31st annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival in Lexington, Ky. The Saturday event begins with the festival that opens at 11 a.m., featuring live Irish entertainment, Irish foods and much more. The parade is slated for the afternoon at 1 p.m.
• It’s not everyday that you can go Irish Road bowling in the south. However, you can try out this sport at the 24th annual Irish Festival at Pipestem (WVa.) Resort State Park (map) on Saturday. There’s also live entertainment scheduled as well as an Irish Buffet, both an extra charge.

photo credit: Shamrock garland, flickr, creative commons by Dizzy Girl