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If this wasn’t a leap year, St. Patrick’s Day would have fallen on a Saturday for the first time since 2018. Unfortunately, the calendar had other plans, and now we have to wait until 2029 for another St. Paddy's to fall on the sixth day of the week.
Fortunately, Jameson—yes, the beloved whiskey brand—has made up a whole new holiday this year called "St. Patrick’s Eve" so that you can celebrate on both Saturday and Sunday: They even managed to get the Times Square Ball to drop on Saturday, March 16 in celebration of the fake, but honestly iconic, holiday.
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The ball will drop at 8pm, which is midnight in Ireland, and they’re calling it the St. Patrick’s Eve “Rock” Drop, which is a play on the phrase "on the rocks." A kickoff event will start at 5pm in Times Square between 43rd and 44th Streets and will include a set by a surprise DJ, giveaways, and more.
Nearby bars will also have a good view of the St. Patrick’s Eve Ball Drop and will offer special discounts for the holiday.
This celebration is part of the liquor brand’s “Must be a Jameson campaign,” which is an effort to bring people together over the beloved Irish drink. "Our Must be a Jameson campaign honors a community anchored by their shared lighthearted spirit, so when Leap Year skipped over a Saturday St. Patrick's Day, we did exactly what a Jameson would do: we created a completely new holiday so people can start celebrating St. Patrick's Day a little early," Johan Radojewski, vice president of marketing at Jameson, says in a press release.
If you’re not sure what to wear for this made-up holiday, Jameson is releasing limited-edition jackets that include a hidden pocket that holds a Jameson hip flask, which is included in the order. All proceeds from those sales will go towards the Restaurant Worker’s Community Fund, which advocates for the rights and wellbeing of food and beverage industry workers.
In general, St. Patrick’s is a great time for partying in New York, and this is a perfect way to get the celebrations started. The party ends relatively early—around 9pm—so this can be a great way to pregame for any other festivities you might have already had planned. Need some ideas? Here's our full list of St. Patrick's weekend events.
Anyone over the age of 21 can RSVP for this Saturday's celebrations here. If you want to watch from home, here's a link to do that.