McKinney’s host 8th annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - On St. Patrick’s Day it’s usually not hard to find a good party, and McKinney’s Irish Pub is one of many places offering that. The bar is hosting its’ 8th annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Grand Island.

They’re serving their famous Irish dishes, along with giveaway prizes. They also held a Lucky Charms eating contest, and instead of milk with your cereal, it was Guinness. Officials said they take putting on an event for St. Patrick’s Day as their responsibility.

“We take this event very serious every year,” Nathan Stewart, Owner of McKinney’s Irish Pub said. “We have a lot of people that look forward to the event. Especially when it lines on a day like a Friday, during March Madness there’s a lot of excitement for people to come down. Especially to drink green beer, watch the basketball games, compete in our Lucky Charms contest and just hangout and have a good time.”

Stewart said as the only Irish bar in town, it’s special to host this event.

“It’s something for the community to do,” Stewart said. “It’s something that they continue to look forward to every year. Normal weather we would have a bigger event going on, but with how cold it is we had to cancel our outside event.”

Stewart said there was going to be a block party, with a DJ to provide entertainment but the weather had other plans. Even without the outdoor entertainment, customers still enjoyed themselves, and shared what they like about the holiday.

“Probably just the friends and the people you meet,” Lindsey Kluthe said. “So like everybody celebrates St. Patty’s Day, so it’s super fun to just come out and hangout and see who likes to be Irish and hangout and celebrate St. Patty’s Day.”

Kluthe said dressing up for St. Patrick’s Day makes her more excited to celebrate one of her favorite holidays.

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