Cody and Ryan Leshikar, brothers and co-owners of O’Briens Irish Pub, will be hosting four local bands during the bar’s Saint Patrick’s Day celebration. David Stone photo

By DAVID STONE, Our Town Temple

Do you know Maewyn Succat? Probably not.

But Maewyn, who came to be known as Saint Patrick, is one of Christianity’s most celebrated figures.

He is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland, and today the anniversary of his death has evolved into a global party day.

The Irish have observed March 17 as a religious holiday for well over 1,000 years. Traditionally, Irish families would attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Although the holiday falls during the Christian season of Lent, prohibitions against the consumption of meat were put on hold and people would drink, dance and feast on cabbage and Irish bacon.

When Irish people began coming to America, they brought their traditions with them, and soon huge celebrations in Chicago, New York and Savannah, Ga., gained popularity with people from all cultures. Savannah was the first American city to dump green dye into its river, but Chicago and San Antonio followed suit.

Eventually, “Kiss Me I’m Irish” hats, shirts and buttons became common attire for folks of all cultural backgrounds, at least on Saint Patrick’s Day.

Temple has no shortage of Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations. So, iron your greens, cook up some cabbage and get those fingers in pinching shape — March 17 is just days away.

Here are some of the celebrations planned in the Temple area. We will start with O’Brien’s Irish Pub. After all, the celebration day did start in Ireland.

O’BRIENS IRISH PUB

O’Briens will be hosting its 15th annual Saint Patrick’s Celebration with tasty traditional food, four bands and plenty o’ drink.

“We’re celebrating inside this year, but we will be packed,” said Ryan Leshikar, who owns O’Briens along with his brother, Cody. “We’ve had it outside in the past, and we’ve had up to 5,000 people.”

Leshikar said the celebration will feature live music from 5 p.m. to midnight. Bands are all local and will include Megan Brucker, Midnight Tradesmen, Lilly Milford and Madstone.

In addition to great music from some of the Temple area’s best bands, O’Briens will be serving up traditional Irish fare.

“We’ll have shepherd’s pie, fish and chips and bangers and mash,” Leshikar said. “Bangers are a traditional Irish sausage usually served with mashed potatoes.”

And, of course, beer will be flowing and a full bar will be available.

MO’S RAIL YARD SALOON

Another big party will be at Mo’s Rail Yard Saloon in Downtown Temple, located across Avenue B from The Yard food truck plaza.

“We will have the most requested DJ in Central Texas,” said owner Mike Mulholland. “Sammy G will be here, and it’s going to be a party.”

The bar will be serving green beer and shots at special prices throughout the night.

CORKY’S WINE & BEER

There will be a lot going on March 17 at Corky’s on South 2nd Street.

“Let me tell you, St. Patty’s Day is going to be big for us,” said Dan Elder, club co-owner. “Not only is this an awesome holiday, it’s also our one-year anniversary.”

Pour up a cold one, Dan. That is worth celebrating!

“We will have a Scooter Scavenger Hunt at 6 p.m.,” he said. “It’s a scavenger hunt, and you go around Downtown on scooters searching for certain items.”

“That’s just the start,” he said. “We will have green beer, green cocktails, comedians, live music and cake.”

Cody Culp will be providing the music, and Rolling Stogies Mobil Cigar will be on location. JohnJohn Montelongo and his Artist-2-Artist will be presenting an art show and sale.

FIRE BASE BREWING COMPANY

Expect fun and games at Fire Base Brewing on South 1st Street.

“We will have green beers on St. Patty’s Day and the Friday after,” said JD McBride, co-owner of the Temple brewery.

Caroline of Texas Red Entertainment will be presenting Rockin' Drinking Tunes for Name That Tune BINGO.

BOLD REPUBLIC BREWING COMPANY

The Bold Republic Brewing Company is Belton will have expanded hours and very special beers for Saint Patrick’s Day, owner Patrick Hodges said this week.

“We will open at 2 instead of 4, and will close at 11 p.m. instead of 10,” Hodges said. “We also will be releasing our Dublin Down Irish Stout that day.”

In addition to the Irish Stout, Bold Republic will offer a green, glittery cider-hybrid called “Leprechaun Farts,” he said.

“It’s fruity and sparkly and people go crazy for it every year.”

GREEN DOOR

Brad Bush, entertainment director at Green Door, said the bar will hold its regular Karaoke Show with a “green flare.”

“Saint Patrick’s is always a good time,” he said. “We will have Happy Hour until 7, and Karaoke kicks off at 9. There will be a lot of party favors and Saint Patrick’s Day fun.”

NOTE: If your business or organization is holding a Saint Patrick’s Day celebration and is not listed here, please send your information to OurTownTemple@gmail.com. Please include a contact name and phone number.

SATURDAY | MARCH 12, 2022

Market, Food Truck Frenzy is today

By DAVID STONE, Our Town Temple

You might want to come hungry to this Downtown event.

The Temple Small Business Coalition will hold its Spring Market & Food Truck Frenzy on Saturday in the City Hall parking lot.

Food trucks will include Pizza PieRos, Lupita's Tacos, Flexin Texan, Checkpoint Germany, Lulamae's Cajun Cuisine, Kona Ice, Lone Star Burgers, Rollin in the Dough, Munchie Monster, Cajun Cauldron, Chock Full of Cheese, Taqueria mi Lindo Nayarit, Sweet Enough Cookies, Coney's Bur-Gour-Met, Rockabea's, Funnel Cake Fantasies and Lowe's Legs.

“So far, we have nearly 60 vendors participating, including about 20 food trucks,” said JD McBride, one of the event’s organizers. “We will have an obstacle-course bouncy house, live music by the Clint Walker Blues Band and Tiny Hooves Petting Zoo & Rescue will be bringing their animals.”

The event will begin at 2 p.m. Limited tables and chairs will be provided but those attending are urged to bring lawn chairs.

“We encourage people to bring their lawn chairs to sit and enjoy the evenings events,” McBride said.

NORTHBOUND & DOWN: lilly and the implements

Lilly & The Implements jam to a packed house Friday night at Barrow Brewing Co. in Salado during the first night of the Northbound & Down Music Festival. The festival continues today and Sunday. Jason Deckman photo | Deckman’s World

NEWS FROM EVERYWHERE

TODAY’S BEST BETS :

• Spring Market & Food Truck Frenzy, presented by Temple Small Business Coalition. We've got Spring Fever and we bet ya'll do too! We're fixing it with our first 2022 Market & Food Truck Frenzy! Come join us for a free community event here in Downtown Temple! We'll have food trucks, market vendors, live music with the Clint Walker Band from 3:30 to 6:39 p.m., games & bouncy house for the kiddos! Let's get out of the house and enjoy the cooler weather before the inferno starts! 2-7 p.m.

• Rogers Springfest & BBQ Cookoff. 

• Northbound & Down Music Festival at Barrow Brewing Company in Salado. Saturday bands include The Naggin, at noon. Waco-based rockers MadStone at 1:30 p.m. In the afternoon, expect Shimmer Island, Nik Parr & The Selfless Lovers,  Denver Williams, and JayWood, an indie-alternative band from Canada.

• Oh the Luck of the Irish be with ye today! Fire Base Brewing Co. 7:30-9:30. Oh the Luck of the Irish be with ye today! Come join us for our St. Paddy's Day Name That Tune Bingo and what better place to have this than at our Brewery!? $2 gets you started for chances at drinks, prizes and a Pot O Gold load of fun! Slainte!

• Comedy Showcase live at Corkys. Doors open at 7, show at 8.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

To include your events in What’s Happening, email information to OurTownTemple@gmail.com. Photos are welcome to for use in the publication as space permits!

FALVEL GIVEN COMMAND OF ‘FLASH’: On this day in 1836, Luke A. Falvel was commissioned captain of the Flash. On the same day, the crew was sworn in. The vessel was a privateer fitted out for service in the Texas Revolution. Privateers, private ships carrying letters of marque from the Republic of Texas, were used to supplement the small Texas Navy. The Flash was ordered to proceed to the Brazos River to pick up victims of the Runaway Scrape, take them to Morgan's Point (on the Texas coast, not the one in Bell County), and defend that place in case of a Mexican attack. The ship sailed on several more missions before it ran aground and was lost in May 1837.

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REJECTED LBJ PORTRAIT: On this day in 1967, a record number of visitors went to the Diamond M Museum in Snyder, Texas, to see Peter Hurd's official portrait of President Lyndon B. Johnson, which Johnson had rejected and declared "the ugliest thing I ever saw." Hurd, a native of New Mexico born in 1904, studied under N. C. Wyeth in the 1920s and first came to national attention in the 1930s. Many of his paintings and murals are in Texas; perhaps the most notable mural is in the Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock. The Johnson portrait episode inspired the punning comment that "artists should be seen around the White House--but not Hurd." The Diamond M Museum put the portrait on display just before it was moved to the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., where it hangs today. The Diamond M Museum closed in 1992, and its collection was given to the Museum of Texas Tech University.

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