Shenanigans

Go green at these 14 San Antonio St. Patrick's Day celebrations

The San Antonio River will be dyed green for the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Sure St. Patrick’s Day is an excuse to booze it up, but that’s not the only ticket in town. From festivals that celebrate Ireland’s rich cultural heritage to special dinners that will make your friends turn green with envy, these special events will appeal to every member of your family. (And yes, there are plenty of places to get a beer and a whiskey, too.)

Bar Louie
Get into some shenanigans at this La Cantera joint, where they will be pouring Irish whiskey specials and green beer. The menu of flatbreads, burgers, and salads may not scream Ireland to you, but you could always ask for a side of potatoes.

Bud Light St. Patrick's Day Parade
Bring the whole family to this traditional annual event featuring lavishly decorated floats, bagpipers, a family-friendly interactive activity called Passport to Ireland, and, of course, rivers of green Bud Light. Irish novelties will be on sale if you forgot your Irish flare at home.

Busted Sandal Brewing Company
The brewery’s popular Porterpalooza returns for another year with live music from Tidalwave Tadpole, What? The City Bears, and DJ Homie, and food from the Belly Dive food truck. Tickets include six 7-ounce pours of various porters.

Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub
Everyday feels like St. Patrick’s day at this River Walk favorite, but the pub really does it up on the big day. Enjoy Irish bites like black and tan onion rings (made with Guinness Stout and Smithwick’s Ale) and a Irish spin on chips and queso with a pint of Killian’s Irish Red.

Francis Bogside
The newly reopened Southtown restaurant is opening its doors at 9 am for an Irish breakfast with dishes like Top of the Morning to Y’all comprised of eggs, black pudding sausage, pork back bacon, braised mushrooms, and Irish brown bread. Later in the day, enjoy bangers and mash while sipping an Irish Mule.

Hopdoddy Burger Bar
Gird yourself for a day of partying with a burger from the popular restaurant in the Rim. The O’Doddy is a corned brisket patty topped with sharp cheddar, house Irish mayo, and a slaw inspired by classic Irish dish bubble and squeak. Can’t make it on St. Patrick’s Day? The special will be available until March 24.

Grayze
Leave the debauchery to others while you enjoy a relaxing meal at this Grayson Street anchor. The menu includes appetizers like barbecue brisket and cabbage sliders with Guinness mustard; the Juicy O’Lucy burger stuffed with green chile cheese and topped with fried poblano strips, fresh greens, bacon, and herb mayo; and green pistachio cupcakes iced with Bailey’s frosting.

Groove House
Grab some gold coins from “Leprejuan” at this throwback bar, where Irish Car Bombs and green queso will be served all night. DJ AMAR provides the tunes. (Do the Cranberries have any remixes?)

The Growler Exchange
The taproom will host a beer dinner featuring Chef Junction’s Juan D. Cardona’s take on two Irish classics. The exact menu hasn’t been revealed yet, but rest assured, it will be paired with beer.

Mad Dogs British Pub
This popular joint is also the official sponsor of turning the River Walk green with eco-conscious dye. See their handiwork in person as you watch the parade while enjoying green beer and fish and chips.

Rosella at the Rand
The downtown hot spot is hosting a “Kegs and Eggs” celebration sponsored by Jameson Irish Whiskey. Enjoy specials on whiskey flights and Irish Coffee, Guinness beer, and a holiday green Leatherneck cocktail featuring Jameson, blue curaçao, and lime juice from 9 am-midnight. Breakfast specials like an open-faced buttermilk biscuit with an over-easy egg will be served until 4 pm.

The Rustic
In honor of St. Pat’s, the casual eatery and live music venue is going green — Pat Green that is — with a special performance from the Grammy nominee along with special guest Cory Morrow. Doors open at 7 pm for the show. Tickets available here.

St. Patrick’s Day Irish Festival
Dig deep into Irish heritage with a two-day festival that includes activities about genealogy, Irish-Texan history, and the Gaelic language. Kiss the Blarney Stone, enjoy Irish beer and food, and make arts and crafts, too.

Yard House
Get lucky with a special Irish menu available until March 18. Entrees include treats like a corned beef brisket served with boiled red potatoes and cabbage; Guinness-stewed beef sirloin shepherd’s pie topped with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and puff pastry, and a grilled corned beef sandwich slathered with melted Swiss cheese.

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San Antonio City Council votes to end horse-drawn carriage rides by 2030

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Horses will no longer pull carriages on the streets of downtown San Antonio.

Life for a horse in San Antonio is about to look a lot different. City Council has unanimously voted (with one abstention) to phase out the use of horse-drawn carriages over the next five years. That means by January 1, 2030, there will be none on the streets at all; instead, there will be electric carriages.

These plans have been in the making since 2022 — if not always at the same level of intensity — when District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 3 Councilmember Phyllis Viagran wrote up some concerns about the horses' wellbeing. A special session at the end of October 2024 hinted to San Antonians that the end for this practice was neigh — sorry, nigh — and the final vote was made on December 12. In addition to accepting the plan, it extended its timeframe by two years.

The initial proposal included worries about the horses' exposure to traffic and pollution, as well how their presence might exacerbate those issues for the environment at large by slowing traffic. It also raised concerns about the effects of standing or walking on hard surfaces for too long, or spending time in extreme weather.

At the December 12 meeting, San Antonians gave impassioned speeches about animal welfare — both to call attention to the need for better conditions and to defend the reputations and jobs of current horse drivers — but it wasn't the first time the council heard from the public about the issue.

In a prior city survey, 50,476 respondents weighed in. Of those respondents, 51.98 percent said they liked the idea to "Transition horse-drawn carriages to electric carriages and pedicabs and ban horse drawn carriages completely." There were alternative solutions listed, but respondents were less drawn to them.

A cultural divide emerged in the data and continued in the December meeting: some people avoided the carriages because they worried about the treatment of the horses, while others enjoyed them because of their historical echoes and living legacy. Many speakers in favor of the plan used this to form their argument, raising questions about history versus progress.

More tangible objections to the plan hinged on the businesses — specifically five companies — and jobs that would be lost, which was the main factor behind extending the adjustment period.

Discussions about the particulars of the electric vehicles are still to come, as confirmed in the discussion near the end of the meeting. Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez addressed concerns about what would happen to the horses, mentioning the Brady Hunter Foundation as a future partner in finding them rescue homes.

Some council members also brought up rhetorical questions about animal exploitation by groups like Sea World, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, military and police forces, and even various groups in the Fiesta parade, although these did not come with a formal motion to pick the issues up.

This decision could have a ripple effect on other Texas cities. Dallas has recently considered a similar ban, but it appears to have stalled; Austin's attempts at a ban have been unsuccessful, but according to the Austin-American Statesman, only one operator is permitted to bring horses downtown. She declines to do so because the long hours are unfair to her and the horses. Houston does have horse-drawn carriages, and there seems to be little conversation about banning them.

Cities like Chicago and Salt Lake City have led the charge in the United States with some of the most prominent successful bans. Other cities around the world with bans include Brussels and Guadalajara, which both switched to electric models. Bans that have been around for years, like Guadalajara's and Prague's, still aren't out of the woods — people are still pushing back on the decision, so it sounds like San Antonio still has much work cut out for it.

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San Antonio City Council votes to end horse-drawn carriage rides by 2030