Irish cheer is coming to First Street in Benicia Saturday, March 16. Participating merchants will be serving a variety of craft brews and nibbles inside their downtown shops from 1 to 5pm, joining in the fun celebrated worldwide.

The sip and shop event is the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, providing weekend entertainment and a chance to sample new and seasonal beer offerings. Many ticket holders show up in their proudest green attire, rain or shine (no refunds due to inclement weather), but it is not required.

“We work with Benicia beer distributor DBI Beverages for the selection of brews, some of which have St. Patrick’s Day themes. There’s a little bit of everything, including Guinness, ale, IPA, Irish red, ciders and more,” said Nancy Martinez, Main Street executive director. It’s a good mix.”

Don’t wait to get tickets as all Main Street wine walks and beer crawls generally sell out in advance. The recent Wine and Chocolate Walk sold out fast, with a total of 397 tickets purchased; the highest number of ticket sales to date for a Benicia wine walk.

Mike Caplin, president of the Main Street board of directors, said, “People really get into the spirit of this beer crawl, wearing green beads and hats to T-shirts with witty Irish slogans—it runs the gamut. Typically this event draws a younger crowd than the wine walks, with perhaps more men participating than women. They really get their “Irish” on.”

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Benicia is one of 40 cities chosen to participate in the California Main Street Program, a state and national network focused on downtown revitalization and historic preservation. Benicia Main Street can be found at 90 First Street in the Southern Pacific Train Depot along the waterfront. In addition to wine walks and beer crawls, Benicia Main Street puts on parades, promotions and numerous other downtown events.

Tickets $25 per person; check in at Benicia Main Street

Eventbrite.com

Benicia Main Street, 90 First Street, 707.745.9791

Beniciamainstreet.org

Participating Merchants

Albertson’s Abbey Carpet and Floor

Angel Heart 4 You

Arata Art Gallery

Benicia Home Improvement

Benicia Main Street

Berkshire Hathaway

Christina S