By George Brown V

Rain threatened to dampen the St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Sunday, March 16, but the sun emerged from the clouds, shining directly down on the annual St. Patrick’s Day Block Party held on 45th Avenue between Sloat Boulevard and Wawona Street.

People adorned in all shades of green from head to toe reveled in the streets, dancing to Irish folk music and devouring delicious shepherd’s pies, as glasses overflowed with Guinness, served by volunteer Renee Lazear. Families strolled around, admiring the numerous booths selling Irish-themed goods, as kids excitedly darted back and forth, enjoying various activities including face painting and a bouncy house.

The block party was organized by the United Irish Cultural Center (UICC) in partnership with Java Beach Cafe and the United Irish Societies, which runs the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown San Francisco. The block party has been going on for approximately 20 years, according to Liam Reidy, president of the UICC since 2021 and one of the head coordinators for this annual event.

Many board members of the UICC and volunteers took on an active role in the festivities, from setting up and cleaning up to serving food and drinks, with local vendors and shopkeepers bringing items to display at the block party as well.

“We also invite some local nonprofits to come to the party, because it’s not all about us,” Reidy said. “The planning of this whole event takes lots of human energy in the background.”

Reidy, from County Limerick in Ireland, estimates about 2,000 attend the block party every year. Not only did they have a band play outside on 45th Avenue, where people enjoyed the music as they dined and connected with friends, but there were also traditional Irish fiddlers inside the pub entertaining the enthusiastic crowd, as children took turns at Irish dancing.

Michelle Rohde, owner of Dot Asylum, came from Petaluma to share her hand-crafted artwork on glasses and mugs.

“I really like the community here,” Rohde said, reflecting on why she traveled the distance. “Everyone comes together, and especially when life gets hard, it’s nice to see people smiling and hanging out with each other.”

Bay Area residents Saba Mohsin and Alec Kassin were looking online for a festival to attend on the weekend and came across an advertisement for the block party. They were especially excited about being able to purchase unique Irish candy and tea that are not available anywhere else.

Kassin had a special relation to the party, being that they lived in the town of Dingle, Ireland for a few years.

“I loved the pace of life in Ireland,” Kassin said. “People were just laid back and were very welcoming. This party brings back some memories of that slow pace of life in Ireland when I was living there.”

First time attendees, Donald and Quinta Graves, who live just a few blocks away, learned about the event from the SF Examiner. They brought along their sons, Antonio and Donny, and really appreciated the family-friendly atmosphere and hospitality toward children, as there were a variety of fun activities, from face painting to a balloon artist to an always popular inflatable bouncy house.

“My favorite parts about this event are the jumping area, face painting, food, prize box and the balloons,” their son Donny said. “I had lots of favorites.”

San Franciscan Carol Mitchell, who is 70% Irish, was always aware of the event but attended the block party with her daughter, Sheilah Boothby, for the first time this year. Boothby lives in South Lake Tahoe, and every year she comes back to the Bay Area to bring her mother to the St. Patrick’s Day festivities in San Francisco. They used to go to dinners at the UICC to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day but had never gone to the block party until this year.

“There’s lots of good food, like corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread and scones,” Mitchell, who has visited Ireland twice, said. “The people are nice too.”

“We decide to do this block party every year because it revolves around being a community celebration,” Reidy said. “The party, and especially the Irish traditional music, makes me think about home, and we’re lucky to have traditions like that.”

The St. Patrick’s Day Block Party takes place on the Sunday near St. Patrick’s Day every year from noon to 6 p.m. The United Irish Cultural Center is located at 45th Avenue between Sloat Boulevard and Wawona Street. For more information, visit irishcentersf.org or call 415-661-2700.