St. Patrick’s Day is around the corner: and so are several fantastic events to get you into the Irish spirit here in Connecticut. Whether you want to celebrate by watching the Hartford parade (followed by a visit to the Connecticut Science Center’s new “Under the Canopy” exhibit), attend the family friendly Shamrock Brunch at Lyman Orchards , or make your own leprechaun trap right at home, we’ve got you covered for fun things to do around our state!
Parades:
March 4: Stamford St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 5: Norwich St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival
March 11: Hartford St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Milford St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 12: New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 17: Greater Bridgeport St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 19: Danbury St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Greenwich St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Mystic St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 25: Essex go Bragh Irish Parade
Kid-Friendly Events:
March 11: Under the Canopy Exhibit Opens at the Connecticut Science Center
Travel to the most diverse ecosystem on the planet at the Connecticut Science Center! Under the Canopy is an immersive and interactive exhibition introducing you to the fascinating world of rainforests. As a Hartford Parade special, everyone pays kids price after the parade!
March 11: Leprechaun Trap Event at the Giggling Pig
Send the kids to us for this fun and creative event! Each child will create their own leprechaun trap… and with the luck o’ the Irish, they just may catch one!!
March 11: Irish Step Dancing at Robbyn’s Nest (10:30 AM):
Learn the basics of Irish Step Dancing and get some exercise to boot! SG Academy of Irish dance will teach you some fun steps to dance this St. Patrick’s Day!
March 17-19: Shamrock Brunch at Lyman Orchards
It’s Shamrock Season and the Apple Barrel Farm Market is going All-Irish at the Lyman Leprechaun Bash on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, March 17th – 19th! Try your luck at the Gold Coin Candy Hunt, snack on Green Apple Cider Donuts, Decorate Shamrock Cookies, tap your feet to Traditional Irish Step Dancing, and more!
At Home Events:
Leprechaun Trap
Build a Leprechaun Trap:
This has become an annual tradition in our house! Our children LOVE getting into the spirit and trying to catch a leprechaun. The idea is simple: You start by reading one of the beloved children’s classics (Like Adam Wallace’s “How to Catch a Leprechaun;” or Sue Fliess’s “How to Trap A Leprechaun“) We linked them as Youtube Read Alouds, but highly recommend checking them out from your local library.
Then, use whatever recycled materials you have around the house to design a trap for your leprechaun. As you can see, our kid tester went with the “Whatever she could find around the house” approach. (Give her credit, she was only 2. Her design skills still have time to grow!)
Then- and this is very important- it’s time to go to bed, to school, wherever. Leprechauns need peace and quiet. When the kids return, they might find toys, tiny footprints, chocolate coins, Lucky Charms- whatever they had in their pockets in order to be “set free!”)
For more fun at home fun, check out this round up of ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with kids or visit our Pinterest Page.
