For the second year running, Sober St. Patrick’s Day is expected to attract hundreds of people on Saturday, March 16 at Regis High School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, right after the big St. Patrick’s parade, for an event that organizers say is a new, alcohol-free way to celebrate the national Irish holiday.
The Sober St. Patrick’s Day goal is simple -- to reclaim the true spirit of the day and to change the perception that the Irish holiday is an excuse for binge drinking.
The brainchild of TV executive William Spencer Reilly, the inaugural Sober St. Patrick’s Day in New York enjoyed rave reviews last year. The event drew such favorable publicity that Belfast City has incorporated the idea into their upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Festival, and intend to promote the brand over three days of events.
“The whole mission is to change the perception of what St. Patrick’s Day can be, and not let it become something that’s hijacked by binge drinking,” Reilly told the Irish Voice.
“It’s a party for people of all ages,” Reilly promised.
The idea first came to Reilly on March 17 a few years ago when he was standing close to St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue during the famous parade.
“There were all these great Irish bands and fantastic music,” Reilly recalled.
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a young man with a beer in his hand wearing a t-shirt that said: “St. Patrick’s Day today, hung-over tomorrow.”
“Right then and there is when the light bulb went off,” Reilly recalled.
“I realized there's so much more we can do with this day. We have been letting people use it as an excuse for binge drinking for too long.”
Writer and actor Malachy McCourt told the Irish Voice that last year’s sell out event exemplified Irish tradition.
“People felt very much at ease, which is the essence of Irishness – easy hospitality,” McCourt said.
“It’s already a tradition. Now they’re doing it in Belfast!” McCourt added,
McCourt, who is an honorary committee member for the event, said the focus on alcohol on St. Patrick’s Day in Manhattan is off-putting.
“The spectacle of young people puking all over the place is not a very nice thing for people to see,” McCourt told the Irish Voice.
He encouraged people of all ages to join the Sober St. Patrick’s Day celebrations which guarantee a great time for all ages.
“I think it will be a very joyful occasion,” McCourt added.
Based on the interest of last year’s Sober St. Patrick’s Day, Reilly is hopeful events like this can be adopted around the U.S.
“We know we're onto something here because the way people have reacted so warmly to us,” he says.
Reilly has created a crowd funding campaign online which has already raised almost $4,000.
"We want to raise $50,000 so we can do this sort of work year round, and move our event in New York to a bigger venue,” he said.
“I had a gut feeling that this was an idea whose time had come.”
The event on March 16 kicks off at 3 p.m. and includes a host of internationally acclaimed artists, including All-Ireland champion button accordion player John Whelan, All-Ireland champion fiddle player Brian Conway, 10-year-old Irish fiddle champion Haley Richardson and Irish author and actor McCourt.
Also scheduled to appear are Brendan Dolan, Tara O’Grady, Marie Reilly, Fiona Conway, the Niall O’Leary School of Irish Dance plus special surprise celebrity guests and political leaders.
The party will take place at Regis High School, 60 East 85th Street, New York. Tickets are $12 per person, which includes light refreshments. For information and tickets visit www.soberstpatricksday.org. Log onto http://www.gofundme.com/soberstpatricksday to donate to the project.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Lynn Earley | Mar 11, 2013, 06:29 PM EDT
Sounds like a great event...too bad it's not ON St Patrick's Day...missing the whole point entirely, of providing the public with a booze-free alternative on the day when the world focuses on getting drunk...having it the day before ..makes no sense to me..
whelanfred | Mar 09, 2013, 11:20 PM EST
I went last year and this is good event for people in recovery. They have an AA meetings at the start and at the end in the basement. Also, the major treatment centers are there with information. God bless Bill Reilly and all those great peeple who show us that being in recovery and sobriety is still fun. Go forth and make money on Sober st Patricks Day for yourself -everyone else is doing it.
JEANTOOHEY | Mar 08, 2013, 09:14 AM EST
I don't think the holiday is an excuse for binge drinking for the majority of people so the organizers are feeding into a negative sterotype. They are certainly reinforcing it. Nor is st pats day about sobriety for most people. I agree with previous comment --feels like a sober business in the making feuled by a bunch of people in recovery.
gary10 | Mar 07, 2013, 07:52 PM EST
In re-reading -- I don't even understand what this means--“The whole mission is to change the perception of what St. Patrick’s Day can be" --- can be? this is double speak and assumes that one only has a negative perception of the day. Not so for many.
gary10 | Mar 07, 2013, 07:29 PM EST
Interesting that you called this a brand and that Belfast will incorporate the brand into their festivities. This sober st patrick's day project feels like it's a for profit business set up to license the brand in cities where ever. I heard that the name is all trademarked. This does not feel like a community service event but a sober business in the making. True, this has been done before but not as a business. With all the focus on alcohol -- this too is high-jacking the holiday for a profit. This just reinforces negative stereotypes too. What is next? selling sober shirts? selling sober plots of land in Ireland, sober vacations? Sober is great if you are an addict. For many, St Patrick's day is not all negative. The sobriety and recovery sector is a big business and makes millions for those involved.
Lynn Earley | Mar 06, 2013, 03:15 PM EST
Great idea, but it's been done before, just not on such a large scale. I'm, sober 25 years, founder of the Smart Party NYC's Alcohol-Free Social Network. We will be holding our third annual sober St Pat's Party right on March 17th, called "Keepin It Green.." It is for adults over 21 only, not families/kids. Adults are the ones that need an exciting, creative booze-free alternative to the bars on that day, not six year olds. (Hip singles I know do not attend "family friendly" events.) I 've been promoting partying sans booze for over 20 years. and do events year round, not just on St Patrick's Day. The lack of alcohol-free social venues for adults is one of the most overlooked facts, when dealing with alcohol abuse. It is a story the media will not touch/discuss. I know this, because I could paper a mc mansion, with the press releases I've sent out. Like wake up and smell the coffee:) This venue sounds great, however, and wish you the best! With all that warm friendly, funny Irish spirit , sure and it will be quite lively..God Bless...
pilib04 | Mar 06, 2013, 12:51 PM EST
How many would attend the NYC St. Patrick's Day parade if the bars, taverns, pubs, restaurants and carryouts were unable to sell alcohol until after the parade?
CitizenWhy | Mar 06, 2013, 12:30 PM EST
Great idea. I went ti Regis. Beautiful building and theater. Good location for this event but in the future they will probably need t bigger place, in a not so ideal location. Of course they could expnad into the basement of the St.Ignatius church across the street.
jamieLM | Mar 06, 2013, 12:07 PM EST
People can choose to celebrate the day without alcohol and have a good time, but I don't have a problem with people who drink responsibly on Patrick's Day. What disgusts me are the people who use the day as an excuse to get drunk and obnoxious and who couldn't care less about St. Patrick or Irish heritage/culture.