Grand Strand bars, restaurants gear up for St. Patrick’s Day

Gracie Fusco
·2 min read

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — With green beer, classic Irish cuisine and live music, bars and restaurants like the Ole Shillelagh and Drunken Jacks are getting ready to celebrate one of their busiest days of the year and kick off the summer season.

Creating a fun celebration is not just the luck of the Irish. It takes a lot of hard work and preparation.

Drunken Jacks is gearing up for the 9th annual “Luck of the Marshwalk” by making sure they have all the necessities for everyone to enjoy.

“We are, of course, stocking up in Guinness and we have green beer because those will be the high points for the day,” said Laura Wilkes, the Information, Technologies & Marketing manager at Drunken Jacks.

Both Drunken Jacks and the Ole Shillelagh said St. Patrick’s Day weekend is great for business as hundreds of people — both locals and visitors, come to the area to celebrate.

“It has a definite impact on our March,” Wilkes said. “This is sort of a kickoff into that spring break mode and getting ready for the summer season.”

Located right off of S. Kings Highway, the Ole Shillelagh has been a local favorite for many years, especially when it comes to its St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

“You know, you have your liquor, you have your beer that you have to really stock up on because it’s not like a normal weekend,” Jari Hilpipre said. “It’s triple the sales, it’s triple the people, it’s just a very fun weekend and you have to prepare.”

Economically, it’s a great day for business, but Hilpipre says that’s not what it’s all about. She said the holiday brings back their family and friends who have been gone awhile.

Both Wilkes and Hilpipre said St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most fun holiday celebrations and encourages everyone to take part.

In North Myrtle Beach, the 34th Annual St. Patrick’s Day parade starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday. For a list of St. Patrick’s day events happening along the Grand Strand, click here.

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Gracie is a multimedia journalist at News 13 and is from Cleveland, Ohio. Gracie joined the team in June 2023 after graduating from the University of Alabama in May. Follow Gracie on Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, & read more of her work here.

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