Downtown Indianapolis celebrates St. Patrick’s Day

INDIANAPOLIS – People all across the state are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Many of those celebrations are happening right in the heart of downtown Indianapolis.

“Happy St. Paddy’s Day to you all,” said Dan Hearvin, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at O’Reilly’s Irish Pub and Restaurant.

This holiday is not just a one-day celebration. In Indianapolis, it’s almost an entire week.

The St. Patrick’s Day celebrations kicked off with the Greening of the Canal on Thursday for the 29th year in a row. Then on Friday, hundreds of people came out to enjoy the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade downtown. It’s a tradition that’s been going on for more than four decades.

Then the celebrations continued over the weekend where many local Irish bars and restaurants saw huge crowds.

“It really is a wonderful time of year for us,” said Joel Reitz, the general manager of O’Reilly’s Irish Pub and Restaurant,” “As an Irish pub, it’s like another New Year’s!”

That brings us to the actual holiday on Monday where many people are out enjoying green beer, camaraderie, and just having a good time.

“It is the feeling we have every day but with many more people,” Reitz said. “It’s friendly. It’s inviting. You can have conversations with people. It’s about living life at its best!”

“I just love it,” said Kelly Alford. “Everyone is Irish even though I am Irish 365 [days], everyone is Irish [today]. They all want to have a good time. They are all cheerful. They are just having fun.” 

“The shirt, ‘Shut Up Liver, You’re Fine,’ says it all because this is what I am going to be saying all day, ‘Shut up, Liver!” Dan Heavrin, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at O’Reilly’s Irish Pub and Restaurant. “My check liver light came on earlier, so I have to tell it to shut up every now and then.”

The holiday is also about supporting local businesses along the way.

“It’s amazing,” said Angel Thompson, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at O’Reilly’s Irish Pub and Restaurant. “Going to the Irish bars that are local and you know support those that are here.”

“That’s what it’s all about,”  Heavrin said. “ You have to support the local bars. We try not to do any chain places. Everything is local!”

Although the holiday is slowly coming to an end, some St. Patrick’s Day fans say they are already starting to make their plans for next year.