It’s easy to feel like staying home and watching Netflix in the winter months. But if you venture out, the place to be is a cozy Irish pub— especially one that has events every night of the week.
Irish Harp Pub is maintaining its reputation as a hub of activity in the Niagara region. To start, they boast live music six nights a week, with an extra matinee performance on Sundays. The musical performances range in genres, with jazz or blues reserved for Sunday nights.
“Each band is unique to themselves. We love to support the music community,” says Adam Brooker, general manager of Irish Harp Pub. He highly recommends that interested parties sign up for the pub’s “Inner Circle” newsletter to receive early notifications about all their upcoming events.
Every Tuesday there’s music trivia, and for the month of March, Irish Harp will be adding Celtic trivia on Sunday March 9th, with The O`Deadlys. Throughout March there will also be a weekly Irish traditional music night, as well as Irish dance lessons on March 12th. As for St. Patrick’s Day, Adam and the rest of the team have a lot planned. There will be music all day, with bands playing slots from 12-3PM, 4-7PM, and 8:30-11:30PM. There will also be performances from traditional Irish dance groups in the afternoon at 1:30pm and 3:30pm.
Reservations will not be accepted on St. Patrick’s Day, with guests being sat on a first-come, first-served basis. One of the many activities the Irish Harp Pub crew has planned is a prize wheel at the door, where patrons can spin a wheel to win different prizes, such as 15% off their bill, gift cards, or St. Patrick’s Day hats or sunglasses.
An annual St. Patrick’s Day tradition for Irish Harp Pub is their popular 12-day giveaway. People enter into a draw, and twelve names are randomly chosen. Those twelve lucky individuals then come to the pub on the day after St. Patrick’s Day, where there will be draws done throughout the night, resulting in a win for each of them. Some of the generous prizes up for grabs this year include barbecues, iPads, a two-day stay in one of the rooms above the pub, and, most excitingly, a $4,000 trip to Ireland.
“It’s a special day for us,” says Adam. “It’s something that makes us feel good, to give back to our patrons and the community. They support us so much.”
Irish Harp Pub has been giving back to the community for years. They host a charity bingo event once a month to benefit Red Roof Retreat, a local organization that provides recreational and respite services to children, youth and young adults with special needs and their families. The pub also recently raised funds to benefit Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, so that more children could attend field trips there. For all of these fundraisers, the Harp matches the amount raised in donations.
The arts have a special place in the hearts of the whole team at the pub. They collaborate with the Shaw Theatre, hosting live “Shaw Readings,” featuring the talents of Patrick McManus, Lezlie Wade, and more. “We are hugely into the arts community, whether it’s music, plays, or reenactments. We love it,” says Adam, adding that one of the members of their kitchen staff participate in historical reenactments.
But it’s not just about the events; Irish Harp Pub also boasts a delicious menu, with many deals to be found. Every day from Monday—Friday, 11AM-5PM, the pub offers lunch deals. Patrons can choose from a selection of half-sandwiches that come with a fresh house salad, French fries, or a seasonal soup, for only $12.50. If you’re still hungry, the full-size sandwich combo is only $15. And for those seeking adventure, there is a chef’s special that changes every week and is available from 5PM—close. That special is announced in their Inner Circle newsletter, which interested parties can join at Irish Harp Pub’s website.
This winter hasn’t held back on its snow and cold, but when we brave the elements to be with friends, there is music, delicious food, joy, and community to be found.
For more details on all of Irish Harp Pub’s events, visit here.
This article was sponsored by The Irish Harp Pub, a 2024 NiagaraOnTheLakeLocal Reader Favourite.