Four Things to Do for St. Patrick's Day in New York

St. Patrick's Day is almost upon us, and Hibernophiles (that is, fans of all things Irish) are getting ready to celebrate.

In New York City, the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade is a beloved tradition, and pubs all throughout the boroughs will be offering specials for the day...but if you want to try something a bit off the beaten path, here are a few ideas, courtesy of Time Out New York...

The Amazing New York Scavenger Hunt

This holiday scavenger hunt gets participants (in teams) to follow clues all over town, performing physical, mental and bar-related challenges. Bonus: Every participant who completes the hunt gets a free beer. Sign up as an individual or a team at PogoEvents.com and meet up on the Lower East Side on Sunday, March 16 at Libation (137 Ludlow St.)

Real Irish Cooking
Scheduled for Saturday, March 15, this hands-on cooking class at the Lower East Side's Whole Foods Bowery Culinary Center (95 E. Houston Street) lets guests prepare and then eat a traditional Irish lunch, including beef-and-Guinness stew, Dublin-style parsnip colcannon and “spotted dog” sweet cake—a thick raisin soda bread. Visit wholefoodsmarket.com/boweryculinary for more information. 

St. Patrick's Weekend Irish New York Tour
With excursions on both March 15 and 16, this walking tour of the city from Big Onion Tours focuses on places with special meaning for Irish immigrants, including New York's first Catholic church, a monument to former New York State attorney general Thomas Addis Emmet, and the former Five Points neighborhood. (Remember Leonardo DiCaprio's "Irish" accent in Gangs of New York? That movie took place in Five Points.) Visit bigonion.com for more information.

Irish to the Core Tasting Event
Of course, a libation is expected on St. Patrick's Day, so head to this Financial District bar The Dead Rabbit, where Northern Irish barmen Jack McGarry and Sean Muldoon will host a cocktail tasting event. Guests can try native spirits like Knappogue Castle single-malt whiskey, Celtic honey liqueur and Brady’s Irish cream. The Dead Rabbit is downtown at 30 Water St.; visit deadrabbitnyc.com for more information.