St. Patrick's Day lives on despite indoor capacity restrictions

A holiday that typically features bars packed shoulder-to-shoulder with revellers will look very different for Niwot residents this year.

Though mass vaccination of Colorado residents is near, all businesses in Boulder County are still restricted by the yellow level of the COVID-19 concern tier system, which allows for 10 people from a maximum of two separate households to gather. Both essential and non-essential businesses, which includes most indoor eateries, are limited to 50% of posted occupancy.

These restrictions will change the landscape significantly for bars around Niwot and north Boulder County this year, all affected by indoor capacity limitations. To adapt, many of these local establishments are prepared to provide a different St. Patrick's Day festivity than normal in the forthcoming week.

Some bars have been mainstays for the local community, such as the Niwot Tavern, a Cottonwood Square staple that typically attracts a crowd. For the week of St. Patrick's Day, the bar will feature an Irish-themed meal each day of the week in an effort to attract a steady stream of customers, to compensate for not being able to host a mass gathering on the holiday itself. Additionally, Niwot Tavern ownership says they plan to provide live music on the night of St. Patrick's Day itself for those planning to dine indoors.

Some establishments that normally host St. Patrick's Day festivities will forgo adapting to physical limitations entirely, choosing instead to curate a sense of community, accrue revenue virtually and contribute to philanthropic causes.

Avery Brewing Company, which often plays host to private events or brewery tours, will instead rely on an online delivery and curbside pickup system to reach customers. Additionally, the brewery plans to host a virtual St. Patrick's Day race for the Boulder community, where participants can pay a small fee to register for the remote event, with a portion of that fee going towards the Emergency Family Assistance Association, an organization that provides food, financial assistance and family housing to those in need. In return, Avery Brewing race participants will receive a delivery of Avery beer products and their mile time registered in the official race results.

Longmont's Wibby Brewing also plans to generate revenue through an online portal that customers can use to place orders for in-house pickup or delivery, with the added incentive of participating in a virtual trivia night the day before St. Patrick's Day. The brewery will continue to host these events for the foreseeable future in an effort to retain a sense of community.

While some places will be going completely remote for the holiday, those hosting in-house events in some fashion will remain committed to public health protocols for the duration of the pandemic. Longmont's Beyond the Mountain Brewing has said they have heaters on their patio to prepare for outdoor crowds amidst potential cold weather, and will ask guests to wear masks when possible and remain at their tables in lieu of mingling throughout the brewery's interior.

Regardless of how many people will be able to gather in person, online, or a mix of both, the festivity will live on in many different ways for Niwot businesses on a St. Patrick's Day like no other.