It's almost time for the wearing of the green, the traditional way to keep from being pinched by leprechauns, according to Irish folklore. If you're wearing green, you're invisible to the little mischief makers. Once you're appropriately dressed, here are a few events to consider over the next few days.
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— Food Truck Friday: After inclement weather caused the cancellation of the previous Food Truck Friday on March 3, the next installment is scheduled 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday at the Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga, 5704 Marlin Road, adjacent to Eastgate Mall. Eighteen trucks will be serving specialties. As a bonus, the chefs will take part in a competition for the best potato menu item, to be judged by representatives of Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union. facebook.com/KitchenIncChatt
— Pizza and green beer are on the St. Patrick's Day menu Friday at Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom, 250 Northgate Mall Drive. Guests can get $10 off with an order of $40 or more. Another promotion is the Drafts & Dunks Tour, which features a craft beer selection (Irish beer included), cocktails, dunkable foods and the chance to win a vintage OC basketball warm-up jersey. Hours are 11 a.m.-2 a.m. oldchicago.com.
— St. Patrick's Day Dead on the Deck is 5-8:30 p.m. Friday at Barrelhouse Ballroom, 1501 Long St. The show features local Grateful Dead tribute band Chants in the Void. Tickets are $10. barrelhouseballroom.com
— St. Patrick's Day Underground happens at 8 p.m. Friday at The Caverns, 555 Charlie Roberts Road, Pelham, Tenn. The Nashville Celts will be joined by Irish dancers and other guests. Tickets are $55. thecaverns.com
— St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl, a tradition of the Highlander Pipes & Drums, happens over two nights at 19 places around the city, all of which will be celebrating the holiday before and after the band arrives. Starting at 5 p.m. Friday, the musicians will make appearances at Feed Co., Nic & Norman's, Gate 11 Distillery, Leapin' Leprechaun, Stevarino's, Mike's Hole in the Wall, Southside Social, Chattanooga Billiard Club downtown and CBC East. Starting at noon Saturday, they'll play at Thunder Creek Harley-Davidson, Diamond Billiard Club, Sweet Melissa's, Doc Holidays, Feed Co., Leapin' Leprechaun, Puckett's, Mellow Mushroom, Walk-Ons and Sing It or Wing It. A Facebook post says they'll spend roughly 20 minutes at each location. Stops are listed in order, though organizers say there is always the chance of a last-minute cancellation or addition. facebook.com/alhambrahighlanders
— St. Patrick's Day Party at the Chattanooga Choo Choo, 1400 Market St., will be centered at Gate 11 Distillery and Nic & Norman's. The fun starts at 6 p.m. Friday with the Joey Winslett Band, Highlander Pipes & Drums and The Red Rogues. Music lasts until 11 p.m., with no cover. The Red Rogues will be back at Gate 11 Distillery 7-10 p.m. Saturday to play more Celtic trad, punk rock and originals. facebook.com/gate11distillery, facebook.com/nicandnormanschatt
— Shamrock 100, a late-model car race featuring World of Outlaws drivers, happens over two nights at Boyd's Speedway, 1481 Scruggs Road, Ringgold, Ga. On Friday, pits will open at 2 p.m., grandstands at 5 p.m. Hot laps start at 7 p.m. Friday ticket prices are $30 ($25 if purchased in advance) for adults in the grandstands, $10 for children 6-12 and free for younger children. Pit tickets are $40. On Saturday, pit gates will open at 2 p.m., grandstands at 4 p.m. An autograph session with the drivers will be at 5 p.m. Hot laps start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35 ($30 if purchased in advance) for adults in the grandstands, $10 for children 6-12 and free for younger children. Pit tickets are $45. boydsspeedway.com
— St. Patrick's Day Festival: Dunlap, Tennessee, will hold this inaugural event 10 a.m.-6 p.m. CDT Saturday at Harris Park, 245 Cedar St. It will include live music, artists, food trucks, homemade crafts and children's activities. Admission and parking are free, though donations are welcome for Friends of the Park. Questions? Email eventswithkimk@gmail.com
— St. Elmo Makers Market will celebrate St. Patrick's Day 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at The Tap House, 3800 St. Elmo Ave. Presented by The Secret Garden, a tropical plant shop, this first market of the season will include 25 vendors, music and specialty drinks. facebook.com/taphousechatt
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— St. Paddy's Party on the Parkway: This signature block party is 6 p.m-midnight Saturday outside The Honest Pint, 35 Patten Parkway. Two stages will rotate through more than 10 musical acts. Also scheduled are performances by the Magic Tapestry bellydance troupe and arts, crafts and food vendors. Advance tickets are $15 at soundcorps.org/events. General admission tickets will be available at the gate for $25. Proceeds will go to SoundCorps, a nonprofit that works to build the local music economy and the careers of local music industry professionals.
— Shamrock City concludes this weekend at Rock City, 1400 Patten Road, Lookout Mountain, Ga. Olta is the featured band, and the Chattanooga Pipe Band, harpist Rachel Payne and euphonium player Cassie Case also will be performing. Visitors can pan for gold and other treasures, see Suffolk sheep and a Highland cow in Bagby's Critter Corral, and have a portrait drawn by caricature artist Dennis Hart. The deep dive into Irish culture also includes live music, food and drink, and the waters of High Falls are tinted green for the occasion. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Visitors should buy timed-entry tickets online to assure admission. seerockcity.com/shamrock
— Chattanooga Area Flute Society will present a program of St. Patrick's Day music in two performances: 2 p.m. Sunday at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 822 Belvoir Ave., and 7:30 p.m. Monday at St. John United Methodist Church, 3921 Murray Hills Drive. The program will feature traditional Irish and Celtic tunes as well as works by Catherine McMichael and "The Legend of Lyn Llech Owain," which will highlight the choir's low flute section. facebook.com/chattanoogaflutes
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Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.
Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / Visitors look at the green waterfall in 2022 during Shamrock City, Rock City's annual Irish celebration.