SARASOTA – The luck of the Irish is alive at one Suncoast bar as residents ventured out to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day one year after the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
This years St. Patrick’s Day festivities at the Shamrock Pub has been something owner of the popular bar Derek Anderson and his staff have been ready for.
“It’s a big fun day for us. Me and my staff look forward to this, we enjoy it,” said Anderson. “We love outing on this party, we like working hard and working the long hours. We don’t celebrate today, it’s game face today.”
In past years the Shamrock Pub has been known by locals as the party destination for St. Patrick’s Day in Sarasota. Anderson says in the past thousands would attend his St. Paddy’s Day celebration, which usually would cover nearly five city blocks.
But this year instead of thousands, a few hundred people came out to celebrate the outdoor block party after last year’s was canceled due to the pandemic.
Something Geraldine Skinner is simply grateful for.
“It makes me feel normal, it makes me feel alive,” said Skinner. “We need to heal or bodies and our minds from this terrible experience that we’ve all had.”
A message shared by many in attendance including Damian Slocum who’s attended past block parties at Shamrock.
“St. Patrick’s Day, there’s no better way to celebrate it then to be out here at the local Shamrock Pub, I tell you what,” said Slocum. “I hope we can get past this whole pandemic situation, and we can all move forward and be okay with bumping and grinding with the locals.”
