Where to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Van Ness/Forest Hills

Not Ireland, but green.

by Marlene Berlin

It’s not the rolling hills of Ireland, but Forest Hills – and Van Ness – offer a variety of ways to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day – or simply get out and enjoy the day.

This Friday, starting in the morning and throughout the day, Bread Furst will have Irish brown bread and Little Red Fox will have soda bread and and a green kouign amann, a croissant-like pastry that originated in Breton.

Acacia Bistro’s lunch and dinner specials include Irish beef stew and corned beef and cabbage. If we have a warm spring day, take advantage of their delightful outdoor café.

If you want something a bit more casual, stop at Soapstone Market between 6 and 9 p.m. Soapstone will be dishing up corned beef brisket, shepherd’s pie, Guinness beef stew, and the usual fixings. The $12.99 tickets can be purchased here or at the door. You can also purchase a plate to go.

Not Irish, but fun

At Politics and Prose, they’re celebrating the 75th anniversary of the film Casablanca with a 6 p.m. screening and 7 p.m. discussion.

Boston rockers Vundabar headline Comet Ping Pong‘s all-ages show, starting at 10 p.m. Tickets are $12.

And when Saturday rolls around, you can welcome spring with the whole family at Peirce Mill. The 19th century mill at 2539 Tilden Street is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at 3 p.m., the Rock Creek Morris Women will perform. Morris Dancing is tradition from the Cotswold region of England where the dances were originally intended to celebrate the passing of winter and to promote the growth of crops, beasts, and humans.

What did we miss? Let us and fellow readers know in the comments.