An afternoon of outdoor entertainment on the Wharf’s Transit and District piers starts with a viewing of the Ireland-Scotland rugby match on a giant screen, and Gaelic football and hurling lessons courtesy of local squad the D.C. Gaels. Students from Irish dance schools perform at noon and 2 p.m., and bands performing Celtic rock and Irish-inspired Americana take stages throughout the day. The Guinness beer garden opens at noon, and children and pets are welcome. Noon to 6 p.m. Free.
Norooz Market at Brookland Arts Walk
The Iranian new year falls on the spring equinox Tuesday, but some groups are getting an early start on celebrations. The sixth annual Norooz Market at the Brookland Arts Walk includes 45 vendors selling pottery, jewelry, art and Iranian pastries, among other offerings, while the afternoon also includes tarot readings and performances by artists like multi-instrumentalist Nica Albertson and the Silk Road Dance Company. 3 to 7 p.m. Free.
The H Street Oral History Festival at Atlas Performing Arts Center
A project years in the making, Mosaic Theater Company’s H Street Oral History Festival will showcase new full-length works written by playwrights who spent time interviewing current and former residents of the Northeast Washington neighborhood. Saturday includes readings and discussions of “Central Time” by James J. Johnson starting at 1 p.m. and “Smoke” by Dane Figueroa Edidi at 7 p.m. The following day, a reading of Gethsemane Herron-Coward’s “George on H” begins at 3 p.m. The festival also includes music and food, as well as panel discussions and conversations about the arts on H Street and the future and past of this evolving corridor. Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday from 1 to 5:30 p.m. Free; reservation required.
Shamrock the Dock and Annapolis St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Annapolis’s St. Patrick’s Day party is so big that it stretches across three days. (Sadly, the Hooley kickoff concert on Friday is already sold out.) Shamrock the Dock, which begins Saturday at noon, features two tented stages on the City Dock on Saturday and Sunday. The main stage is the place to hear a variety of bands, including fiddle-forward Celtic American band Scythian, Scottish trad-folk-rock band Skerryvore and indie-folk group Carbon Leaf, while the smaller UA stage hosts traditional pipe bands, Irish dancers and other performers. The parade begins Sunday at 1 p.m., winding down West and Main streets to the City Dock, and features marching bands, Irish ensembles, floats and civic groups. Bands at Shamrock the Dock begin at noon Sunday. Get an early start at Irish pubs downtown, such as Castlebay on Main Street, which opens at 8 a.m., or Galway Bay, celebrating its 25th St. Patrick’s Day on Maryland Avenue. Shamrock the Dock times vary; $30 per day, $60 for weekend pass. Parade at 1 p.m. Sunday; viewing free.
Dacha St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt
If you like a challenge on St. Patrick’s Day, Dacha Beer Garden is bringing back its themed scavenger hunt. Previous iterations have required participants to solve crossword puzzles to extract clues, look for local landmarks, take photos with strangers and ask them to sign petitions. Bring a team of three to five people, or get randomly placed on a team. Either way, there are prizes up for grabs. 1 to 10 p.m. Free.
Capital Comedy Festival at DAR Constitution Hall
Capital Comedy Festival returns to the downtown venue with a lineup of four comedians: veteran Sommore, “Breaking Bad” star Lavell Crawford, actor Don D.C. Curry and radio personality Huggy Lowdown. 8 p.m. $59-$99.
St. Patrick’s Day bar crawls
D.C. is big on St. Patrick’s Day bar crawls, even if none of the bars participating are particularly Irish. The long-running Leprechaun Lap Bar Crawl features free admission to at least eight bars along Connecticut Avenue NW, including City Tap House, Decades and Zebbie’s Garden, with $3 beers, $4 shots and $5 mixed drinks at each. (2 to 10 p.m. $25-$40.) The Shamrock Crawl, another crawl in the Dupont neighborhood, visits almost entirely different bars than the Leprechaun Lap — Public Bar is the only overlapping location — but it has similar specials, including $3 light beers and $4 rail drinks and shots. Pit stops include Recessions, the Madhatter, Sign of the Whale and Cafe Citron. (2 to 10 p.m. $35-$50.) The Clarendon St. Patrick’s Bar Crawl visits Clarendon Ballroom and Mister Days. What kind of time machine have they discovered on Wilson Boulevard? This day-long event also stops at the Renegade (the location of the original Mister Days) and Coco B’s (once the site of Whitlow’s on Wilson) for true flashback potential. Specials include $3 domestic beer, $5 Guinness, $4 shots and $5 rail drinks. (3 to 10 p.m. $9-$25.)
St. Paddy’s Day at Wheatland Spring
For the first time since 2020, the Loudoun County farm brewery is inviting fans of all ages to come visit the brewery for fresh and lovingly cellared beers, live Irish music by Derek Kretzer of the local bluegrass band the Plate Scrapers, and food from the international food truck What the Schnitzel. 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Free.
