Overview
🍀 5th Annual Grain Theory St. Patrick’s Day Downtown Street Party
Saturday, March 14 | 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
North 2nd Street (Pine → Cypress)
Year five. Which means at this point it’s a tradition — and also a very good excuse to close the street and throw a party.
Our St. Patrick’s Day Street Party returns to North 2nd for an evening built around live music, local businesses, community partners, street food, and plenty to do whether you’re here with friends, kids, parents, or just wandering downtown and hear bagpipes in the distance.
This is a family-friendly event. Always has been. Always will be. There are things to do for every age, every attention span, and every level of “I just came for the vibes.”
🍀 The Part That Matters Most
Every street party we partner with the Food Bank of West Central Texas, which serves Abilene and 13 surrounding counties.
Here’s how it works:
Bring a full grocery-size bag of non-perishable food to the Food Bank tent and you’ll receive a ticket for one free street beer.
One bag = one beer.
There is no limit.
Yes, people test that.
You can also make a direct monetary donation at the tent.
Last year this community donated 422 pounds of food and raised $422, which felt very on-brand and also very meaningful. We’d love to beat that this year.
🍀 This Event Exists Because of Volunteers
This street party is free for the community — and it only happens because volunteers help us make it happen.
You do not have to be 21+ to volunteer.
Volunteers receive:
• VIP wristbands
• Free T-shirts
• Free beer (21+)
• Behind-the-scenes access
• Lots of perks
• And the satisfaction of helping create one of downtown’s biggest community events
If you’ve ever thought “this looks fun,” it is. And we need you.
Sign up here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScTdTkpaWHhT0-FOf3sXTCtVq1bzYBwJwSo4pv9rmSNJSOhTQ/viewform?usp=header
🍀 Things Happening Up and Down the Street
The Abilene Farmers Market will be set up featuring locally grown produce, handmade goods, and products from farmers and makers right here in the Big Country.
New this year:
Best Beard Contest
In partnership with local beard supply company On The Regular LLC, we’ll host our first ever Best Beard Contest at the main stage from 8:15 PM – 8:30 PM. There will be prizes. There will be judging. There will be strong opinions.
Details on how to enter will live on our social pages.
The Selfie Trailer by DoItYourSelfie returns — a custom trailer with multiple selfie stations so you can document the night properly (or at least pretend you didn’t take 37 photos to get one).
We’ll have all-ages face painting by Fairy Princess Face Painting.
The Women’s Music Museum — a local nonprofit working to build a permanent museum — will host a gathering space where you can learn more about their mission. They’ll have coloring sheets for $1 for all ages, with 100% of proceeds going toward building the museum.
The Cigar Tent by The Leaf returns.
And street party favorite Sergio will be back creating live hand-drawn portraits on the spot.
Throughout the street you’ll find vendors selling handmade goods, art, and products you won’t find anywhere else. Very much a “walk around and discover things” situation.
We’ll also have games set up in the street because standing around holding a drink is great, but having something to do is better.
🎶 Stage Schedule
We bring the stage into the street so the energy stays in the street.
Sun City Band (from Pioneer Taphouse — Brownwood)
6:00 PM – 7:45 PM
Traditional Live Irish Bagpipe Performance
7:50 PM – 8:10 PM
Best Beard Contest (Main Stage)
8:15 PM – 8:30 PM
Caleb Sutton & The High Stakes
Closing out the night with the kind of set designed for dancing in the street and staying longer than you planned.
🍴 Food Situation (Important)
Street parties require street food.
We’ll have:
• Sherrod’s BBQ
• Dragon Soul Hibachi
• Vagabond Pizza serving slices to-go on the street
• A Grain Theory street food tent featuring Irish-themed items you can only get at the street party
Plus drinks throughout the street, the taproom open, NA options, and plenty of places to sit, wander, and regroup.
This event exists because this community shows up — for local businesses, for nonprofits, for each other, and apparently for bagpipes.
Bring your family. Bring your friends. Bring a donation.
Or bring a volunteer shirt.
We’ll see you in the street. 🍀
