In San Diego, St. Patrick’s Day hits the perfect mix of four-leaf clovers, gold beads, early mornings, long weekends, and accidental Sunday Irish coffees. It’s where green beer flows freely and Guinness is taken very seriously. But it’s also a day for the runners, the families, and the recovering. Some people celebrate with parades and rainbow floats; others accidentally end up on three bar crawls before noon. Luckily, San Diego offers options for all sorts of shenanigans. Whether you’re after an all-day ale adventure, a wholesome parade moment, or a plate piled high with corned beef, here’s where to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in San Diego this year.
St. Patrick’s Day Parties & Bar Crawls
Kiss Me, I’m Irish: San Diego St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl
March 14, 2 p.m.-2 a.m. | March 17, 6 p.m.-2 a.m.
Pacific Beach does not do subtle, and this two-day crawl leans fully into that. Expect boardwalk chaos, green-glitter cocktails with questionable names, and a rotation of PB staples like The Beverly Beach Garden, Moonshine Beach, Baja Beach Café, and more. Order a coconutty Coco Breeze Mojito, rally with a tiramisu martini, or commit to a massive green marg to match your “Kiss Me I’m Irish” t-shirt. If you’ve ever wanted to celebrate St. Paddy’s basically on the sand, this is your sign.
Pacific Beach
Lucky’s St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl
March 14, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Apparently Fifth Avenue is where it all goes down this year. Head to Lucky’s St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl if you’re looking for hundreds of crawlers, six-plus venues, drinks or shots included, DJs, food specials, green and gold beads, pro photographers, and a wild after-party—all with no cover. Consider yourself lucky.
Gaslamp Quarter
University Heights St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl
March 14, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m
Less chaos, more charm. University Heights turns St. Patrick’s Day into a walkable, neighborly affair, hopping between spots like Cheers, LiveWire, Diversionary, Kairoa, Lancers, and Park & Rec. There’s green beer, themed snacks, temporary clover tattoos, taco trucks, and the kind of crowd that’s festive without being feral.
University Heights
Shamrock Stroll St. Paddy’s Pub Crawl
March 14, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
If your goal is to start celebrating before March 17 even thinks about arriving, this is your crawl. A citywide takeover with exclusive drink specials—maybe you’ll stumble on a Shamrock Sour, or sip a lucky concoction. With a built-in after-party, it’s designed for people who believe St. Patrick’s Day is a weekend, not a date. Wear green. Bring friends. Pace yourself (or don’t)!
Gaslamp Quarter
Nasstive Entertainment St. Patrick’s Day Block Party & Pub Crawl
March 14
This Pacific Beach crawl is all about transparency, value, and absolute stamina. Ten-plus bars, free welcome shots, DJ sets, and specials posted before you even buy a ticket. From Duck Dive Guinness deals to Prince Street Pizza’s fluffy Sicilian-style squares, it’s PB doing what PB does best: turning St. Paddy’s into a never-ending happy hour.
Pacific Beach
Irish 4 A Day Party Hop
March 13, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. | March 14, 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. | March 17
San Diego’s most ambitious St. Patrick’s Day celebration doesn’t stop at one night. Or two. Or even three? The Annual Irish 4 A Day is back, taking over the Gaslamp with its 20 best bars (in a true party-hop format, of course). This is for people who want their day loud and layered. Start at American Junkie with an Irish-style red ale, then sip, wander, and let the luck unfold.
Gaslamp Quarter
St. Patrick’s Day Festivals & Runs
St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival
March 14, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A classic for a reason. Floats, Irish dancers, marching bands, antique cars, equestrians, and Irish setters (yes, the dogs) roll through in celebration of Irish culture, followed by a family-friendly festival in Balboa Park. This year’s theme: Here, There, Irish Culture Everywhere! promises a day where whether you’re Irish by blood or just at heart, memories and a little whimsy are guaranteed.
Fifth Avenue & Laurel Street
San Diego Leprechaun Run
March 14, 5K Run: 9:00a.m. | Kids 1 Mile Run: 10:30 a.m.
Run a 5K through Pacific Beach, finish under a rainbow, and immediately receive a drink? Yes, please. Bonus points for the Leprechaun Run festive t-shirts, free photos, finisher medals, and the fact that this is basically cardio with a built-in reward system.
Pacific Beach
Leprechauns & Live Music at Seaport Village
March 14 and March 15, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
How about St. Patrick’s Day by the waterfront: shamrock-lit paths, live Irish tunes, and maybe a leprechaun or two? Grab a bite at Shorebird, Malibu Farms, or Mike Hess Brewing, and snag your green at shops from San Diego Surf Co. to Crazy Shirts. When you need a break, flop on the grass or a bench and soak up the bay and Coronado—casual, scenic, and totally San Diego.
Seaport Village
House of Ireland Lawn Program
March 14, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m
Who says St. Patrick’s Day has to be a sprint? Take it slow, sip some stew, and dance a little on the House of Ireland’s lawn. Every March on the Sunday before the holiday, everyone’s invited for live Irish music, traditional performances, cozy cottage bites, and non-alcoholic Irish coffee, the perfect warm-up for the weekend.
665 Pan American Plaza, San Diego
Irish Pubs Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day
The Field Irish Pub
Literally shipped from Ireland, piece by piece. The Field is old-world in the most authentic way, with sausage rolls, shepherd’s pie, Guinness beef stew, and a façade that feels plucked straight from an Irish main street. If you want your St. Paddy’s historically accurate, start here.
544 Fifth Ave, San Diego
Stout Public House
Your downtown neighborhood Irish pub with a hockey-bar soul. Dark wood, a long bar-focused layout, solid pub food (hello, mini angus beef burgers with Irish curry chips), and more whiskey than you’ll ever need. For a reliable and lively St. Paddy’s, Stout Public House delivers exactly what it promises.
1125 Sixth Ave, San Diego
The Ould Sod
Say ‘Céad Míle Fáilte’ to The Ould Sod, a favorite SD Irish pub. Darts, foosball, a well-poured Guinness or Black and Tan, Jameson, and a patio packed with decades of chatter—this is St. Patrick’s Day without theatrics, just charm that feels straight from Ireland. They’re even proud sponsors of Sod Celtic and Sod United soccer clubs, Gaelic football, and an Irish surf club. How much more Irish can you get?!
3373 Adams Ave, San Diego
Long Story Irish Pub
Long Story is where St. Patrick’s Day slips into a three-pint afternoon, no forced fun required. Warm wood interiors, fish and chips, Irish chicken sandwiches, and a crowd in subtle pops of green make it easy to settle in for a long night—and most definitely a story.
4204 Voltaire St, San Diego
O’Brien’s Pub
O’Brien’s Pub isn’t Irish in the shamrocks-on-every-surface sense, but it’s Irish in spirit. A true neighborhood spot with zero theatrics, it trades green décor for an obsessively good beer list and a loyal, low-key crowd that actually knows what it’s drinking. Here, you can spend a happy afternoon among regulars who love Belgian ales and hoppy pours just as much as you do.
4646 Convoy St, San Diego
McP’s Irish Pub
If St. Patrick’s Day had a Coronado address, it would be McP’s. A snug interior, a dog-friendly fire-pit patio, decades of history, Irish fries drenched in Guinness gravy, and an Irish coffee crowned with whipped cream. No gimmicks, no trying too hard. Just a bar that’s been pouring proper pints since 1982.
1107 Orange Ave, Coronado
PARTNER CONTENT
O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub
O’Sullivan’s doesn’t ease into St. Patrick’s Day. It commits. In North County, the holiday becomes a full-on marathon, with past celebrations stretching into four straight days of live music that have you accidentally learning Irish folk lyrics by night two. The food leans playful and indulgent: Irish nachos piled high on potato chips, Scotch eggs done right, corned beef quesadillas, and egg rolls stuffed with corned beef and cabbage. It’s a room that gets louder, greener, and happier by the hour.
1158 E. Grand Ave, Escondido
