Get ready to sham-rock your way to the most fun you've ever had on St. Patrick's Day. Channel your inner Irishman with a grown-up St. Patrick's Day party more exciting than the end of a rainbow. Celebrate with tasty green treats, engaging games, and party decor that features all the classic Irish symbols. When you invite your friends over for your St Patrick's Day event, it will leave them feeling luckier than a leprechaun.
Host a Themed St. Patrick's Day Party
Before you decide on a menu or start purchasing decor, you need to know the direction your St. Patrick's Day party will take. Try to decide on a theme or the particular type of event before you dig into the party details.
Party Like a Leprechaun
Embrace your inner leprechaun and plan an entire party around the legendary Irish myth. Encourage guests to dress as their own take on the tiny bearded man and come prepared for a night of mischief. Leprechauns may be lucky, but they are also known for being tricksters. Have a few lighthearted and well-meaning pranks in place for your party guests. Make sure you leave plenty of pots of gold sitting around for all your lucky leprechauns.
Kiss Me, I'm Irish Party
Bring the feminine energy to your St. Patrick's Day party and host all your gal pals for a "kiss me, I'm Irish" party. Blend your typical green party decor with red lip decorations. You can serve treats that are covered in kisses but are a bright Irish green on the inside, like a cake decorated with luster dust lips that displays a bright green sponge (hello, food coloring) when you slice. Place colorful flowers on your table and reach for spring decorations to add all the dainty details for your day with the girls.
Pub-Style Party
If you're planning on serving drinks anyway, you may as well turn your event into a pub-style party. Set up a snazzy bar at your kitchen counter or dining room table. Display a menu of Irish drinks and classic bar foods like pretzels, burgers, and sandwiches. Invite guests for a casual day of appreciating the part of St. Patrick's Day that many people anticipate the most. You can even host a beer tasting and invite everyone to bring their favorite to add to the lineup.
Irish Brunch Party
Brunch it up, Irish style! Everyone loves an excuse for mimosas and waffles. Add a fun twist by making everything green. Host your friends for a brunch spread featuring classics with a green upgrade. Consider skipping the green eggs though. Save them for Dr. Seuss Day.
Stay Golden Party
Celebrate your best friendships and channel that leprechaun energy all in one soiree. Plan a party where golden luxury is the focus. It isn't just pots of gold chocolates that make this event feel special. Serve everything on gold platters and add sparkle wherever you can. Ask guests to arrive in green or gold black tie and treat them to a night of high-end celebrations. Your party will be the gold at the end of the rainbow this St. Patrick's Day.
Choose the Best Decor
Your St. Paddy's day party must look the part. Give guests photo-worthy decor for a party that's sure to be documented on all the social media channels.
Start With Green & Gold
You can't call it a St. Patrick's Day party without the classic colors of the holiday. Plenty of green and touches of gold will show your guests that you take partying seriously. Look for opportunities to use the colors in every detail. If you're hosting a formal St. Patrick's Day dinner party, opt for gold cutlery and green drinking glasses. If fun and casual is more your speed, include a green and gold balloon arch or a sprinkling of sparkly green and gold confetti on the food table.
Don't Forget the Shamrocks
You can't overlook the most important symbol of St. Patrick's Day. Whether it's on disposable plates, drawn in frosting on a cookie, or featured as your centerpiece, make sure there are shamrocks somewhere in your St. Paddy's celebration. For extra fun, include mainly three leaf shamrocks and challenge guests to find the one hidden four-leaf clover.
Add a Few Rainbows
St. Patrick's Day is mostly green and a little gold, but don't forget the rainbows that come with those pots of gold. Mix up the colors of your party by adding in a few nods to the rainbow. You can use rainbow flowers for a touch of spring flair, throw in a few rainbow candies on the dessert table, or create an entire backdrop featuring a large rainbow to encourage guests to document their party shenanigans for a picture-perfect social media photo.
Plan the Perfect St. Patrick's Day Party Food Lineup
The most memorable parties are the ones with unforgettable food. Make your St. Patrick's Day party stand out with a lineup of fun themed foods and traditional Irish cuisine.
Craft a Charcuterie Board
Impress your guests with a party platter that will have them believing in lucky shamrocks and leprechauns as soon as they take a bite. Present a party platter or charcuterie board featuring classic St. Patrick's Day symbols and colors. You can cut brie into a shamrock, serve an entirely green fruit and veggie platter, and even add edible gold luster dust to your classic charcuterie elements. Go for a magically delicious approach and serve a rainbow-inspired platter of fruit, veggies, and even sweets. You could even serve a charcuterie board featuring traditional Irish meats, cheeses, and breads.
Offer Traditional Irish Foods
Give guests a taste of the Emerald Isle with a few traditional Irish recipes or foods with an Irish twist. Serve Irish potato pie for your St. Paddy's brunch. Start your party with Irish appetizers like Reuben topped Irish nachos. Give dinner guests a comforting bowl of Irish lamb stew. Don't forget the classic corned beef and cabbage for an Irish-American meal.
Serve St. Patrick's Day Drinks
It's not a St. Patrick's day party without a few drinks on the menu. Treat guests to vibrant green drinks or even a few Irish drinks without the food dye. You could add a mocktail or two to the menu or stick to traditional Irish cocktails.
Make Shamrock Sweets
The drinks and appetizers are great, but every party needs something a little sweet. Surprise party goers with green desserts, shamrock treats, and sweets featuring the magical marshmallows of Lucky Charms. Serve sugar cookies frosted as four-leaf clovers, pots of gold, and leprechaun hats. Go for a less literal approach and offer homemade shamrock shakes or a few grasshopper cupcakes. You can decorate your centerpiece cake with sugary marshmallow cereal or make your own Lucky Charms crispy treats.
Get Guests Laughing With Party Games
Party games will break the ice among your guests and keep everyone laughing until the party ends. Keep your friends in a celebratory mood with a lineup of games with simple rules and plenty of opportunities to chuckle.
- Break into pairs and turn each other into leprechauns with beards made of shaving cream and see what team can catch the most Cheetos with their foamy beard.
- Test your luck with a few rounds of Find the Coin. Everyone gathers around and does their best to see if they can figure out who is holding the lucky gold coin.
- Host a St. Patrick's Day trivia contest.
- Keep the party going with a die game made just for a St. Patrick's Day celebration.
- Turn the classic hot potato game into a drinking game by making players take a drink each time they're left holding the potato. Last player to tap out wins. Don't forget to use a real potato to make it more Irish!
Send Guests Home With Paddy's Day Party Favors
Don't let your guests forget how much fun your party was. Send them off with a fun party favor that is useful, tasty, or simply good for a laugh.
- Prep guests for the morning after with hangover kits.
- Tickle their sweet tooths with gourmet cookies or cake pops.
- Make them rich in chocolate with a bag of goodies, all covered in golden wrappers.
- Send everyone over 21 home with a bottle of Guinness.
- Send your gal pals home with a bottle of anti-pinch green nail polish.
- Give guests a drink koozie that commemorates the festivities.
Host the Luckiest Party of the Year
Serve up the green decor, the delicious food, and the best drinks for a St. Patrick's Day party guests will never want to forget, even if they struggle to remember it the next morning. With a little planning, a lot of clever ideas, and a bit of the luck of the Irish, your guests will shout "sláinte" all night long.
