Of course, it’s easier for some pubs and clubs to get involved with St Patrick’s Day than it is for others. They may have the heritage or the community feel that can really make the day go with a swing. However, there are lots of things that pubs and clubs can get involved with to bring their parties to life! 
 
Irish Music
There is no better way to get a party started than with some great music. But if you are not lucky enough to have, or be able to get, traditional live Irish music for the big day you can still inject some Irish passion into your event in a number of ways. The Irish themed Karaoke is a great idea, as customers can choose from the huge range of Irish themed songs and songs from Irish bands that have been released over the years. What about an Irish tribute band such as U2, Westlife or Van Morrison?  You could host an open mike session and uncover your own local talent. If you can get some Irish dancing into the event this makes for a great heart racing bit of fun. A demonstration from local Irish dancers would also be great if you can find some.
 
Irish Themed Pub Quiz
Want something for the evening that is definitely Irish but more subdued, or maybe just a breather from all of that dancing? If so, why not take a break and generate a themed Irish Quiz – you can use our Quizmaster tool to do this easily and quickly. Why not use a poster from the Poster section on barbox to help you advertise your event.
 
Guinness and Other Drinks
Don’t forget a drop of the old black stuff. Let’s face it, how could you? But for those of your customers that want something a little different, why not create a number of themed cocktails? What about these: Luck of the Irish, Blarney Stone, Pot of Gold, Rainbow? Or, why not serve traditional Irish coffees throughout the day?  Don’t forget to expand your range of Irish whiskeys and ciders as well during this time. Make your own Irish drinks menu to draw attention to the range you have, and don’t forget the Black Velvet!

Use the Profit calculator tool on barbox. This can help you calculate your profit margins and maximise your promotions during this time.

Tasty Food!
Irish food is wholesome and filling, so make sure that you have something fitting on the menu.  Apart from the obvious beef and Guinness pie, here are some ideas to get you started.
Irish stew
Oysters
Salmon
Colcannon (mashed potatoes and cabbage)
Champ (mashed potatoes and spring onions)
Corned beef and cabbage
Irish farmhouse cheese
Irish cream cheesecakes
Soda bread
Add shamrock pastry touches to your original pies on the menu!

If you don’t want to do anything different at all with your menu, why not simply decorate your tables with Irish themed flower arrangements or green napkins?

Games and High Jinks
As well as the dancing and the singing and the quiz, you may want to set up a range of themed games for your event. Give traditional games an Irish twist, like kissing the Blarney Stone – a kind of Irish limbo where participants need to bend backwards lower and lower to kiss the stone. The children may enjoy Shamrock hunting inside or outside. Hide different sized shamrock symbols around your outlet and outside. Offer small prizes for the children who can tell you where they are.

Sport
Extend the Irish theme from midweek to the weekend and promote the Six Nations Ireland vs Scotland game on March 20th.

Going for Green
Whatever you are doing the decorations for St Patrick’s Day are easy to achieve. Just think… green with a splash of gold and you can’t go wrong!  If your staff adopt a green dress code and get into the spirit, your customers will too. Keep an eye on the barbox.com website for special St Patrick’s Day deals on promotional materials and decorations for registered users.

Be safe
Our Health, Safety and Risk assessment sections on barbox, include information regarding crowd safety ,decorating your outlet, and using electrical equipment and also a disclaimer form for visiting performers, musicians and DJ.’s These will help to give you the peace of mind that your event will be happy, safe and profitable.