Tulsans Celebrate Saint Patrick's Day

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK -- More than 5,000 Irish and Irish wanna-bes packed into downtown Tulsa Wednesday evening to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. Several restaurants and bars are hosting parties.

Crews worked hard to get ready, setting up tents and stocking up on beer. They even made it easy to make a pit stop!

The Guiness started flowing early on Saint Patty's Day at Arnies Bar, and it was accompanied by Irish music.

McNellie's Irish Pub had a difficult time accommodating all the partiers on Saint Patrick's Day last year, so this year they bought a bigger tent.

"We were just too busy last year," said general manager Travis Taylor. "So bigger tent, more people, I think it will work out good."

Saint Patrick's Day events had several downtown streets in Tulsa shut down Wednesday:

Crews shut down Elgin between 1st and 2nd Street and it will remain closed until 8 a.m. Thursday.

City crews also shut down 1st Street between Greenwood and Elgin for McNellie's party-goers.

It will remain closed until 2 a.m. Thursday.

Second Street between Detroit and Elgin and Elgin from 2nd to 3rd Street will close from 7 p.m. Wednesday to 2 a.m. Thursday.

Elsewhere in Tulsa, KilKenny's Irish Pub on Cherry Street shut down 15th Street between Quincy and Rockford.  It will be closed until 1 a.m. Thursday. 

This year AAA offered its first Tipsy Tow for people who don't want to end their party in jail for drunk driving.

3/14/2010 Related Story: AAA Offers 'Tipsy Tow' On Saint Patrick's Day