5 Things

St. Patrick’s Day (Observed) is finally here! If you’ve been waiting for this moment to bring your oversized green foam hat out of storage, we’ve got plenty of stuff for you to do. If you want to set fire to every foam hat you see, we’ve got stuff for you too.

March 12, 2015; 7:35 AM • by Susan Howson

1. Atlantic 10 Tournament

Our beloved Rams and Spiders engage in a BATTLE OF WITS (I mean, you could sort of look at basketball that way) with other teams and perhaps each other. Will one of them win? Will none of them win? Will won of them none? Which when of will woo?

Through Sunday, March 15th • (the Rams play today at 2:30 PM, the Spiders play Friday at 2:30 PM)
Your television or Brooklyn, whichever you can get to first
The cost of your loyalty

2. Movie Club Richmond: HITS, by David Cross

Fan of Mr. Show? Fan of Arrested Development? Maybe David Cross, star of both, can be trusted to make a fabulous movie! Movie Club of Richmond present HITS, a movie that features so many funny people, including Amy Sedaris and Michael Cera. Grab tickets at Chop Suey (pay what you want!) or the Byrd box office on the day of the show.

Saturday, March 14th • 1:30 PM
The Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary Street
Pay what you want!

3. Chicago

Go to Chicago this weekend! Why not! I kid, they’re not breaking 45 degrees this weekend, and we have kissed good-bye to that stupid weather. I meant, go SEE Chicago this weekend for a rip-roaring good time, complete with old-timey gangsters and women in prison.

Friday, March 13th – Sunday, March 15th • see site for showtimes
Altria Theatre, 6 N. Laurel Street
$38 – $75

4. Shamrock the Block

The big kahuna of Irish festivals this weekend, Shamrock the Block packs many Richmonders into one space. My sources tell me that last year was fun without being too much fun, boozy without being too boozy, and something they’d do again. Thanks, sources!

Saturday, March 14th • 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Boulevard, North of Broad
Free!

5. St. Paddy’s Palooza

Listen, a little rain won’t discourage this festival, which did a genius thing and moved it to Sunday instead. Bonus: they don’t compete with the rest of the festivals on Saturday! This family-friendly event features a hot air balloon, which is enough to get me there. Irish music, Irish dancing, heads shaved for charity, pony rides, sure…but a HOT AIR BALLOON. That’s the way to celebrate the Irish heritage coursing through many of our bloodstreams.

NEW DATE: Sunday, March 15th • 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Innsbrook Pavilion, 4901 Lake Brook Drive
Free to attend!

Bonus Thing

Aren’t into group drinking? We hear you. Hang out at home with a good Irish book or sip a good Irish beer and watch a good Irish movie. After all, the holiday is meant to celebrate freedom, not the cartooning of a beautiful culture. Let us learn what we can and honor the bejeezus out of it!

Photo by: Leo Reynolds