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Murphys Irish Day, our annual celebration of all things Irish always
attracts a large crowd of tourists and local residents, but it will be extra
special this year because it falls on St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday March 17. The
celebration that pays tribute to the town’s Celtic heritage, always held on the
third Saturday of March, rarely coincides with the date that honors the patron
saint of Ireland but this is our year.
The day will begin with a pancake breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. at the
Congregational Church on the corner of Church and Algiers Streets. Enjoy
breakfast at the Church or slip into one of our local restaurants or just grab a
quick treat at the Aria Bakery on Main Street. Just make sure you get here
early so you can grab a good parade watching spot.
 Presented by the Murphys Business Association, the Main St.
festivities will start at 10 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m. There is no
admission charge and we plan to celebrate come rain, snow or even a little
sunshine.
More than 100 vendors offering fine arts and crafts, home-baked delicacies,
Irish Day t-shirts, souvenirs and many tasty things to eat and drink will line
the street.
Among the items available for purchase will be handmade jewelry, wood and
metal art objects, pottery, glasswork, sculpture, paintings, photographic
prints, clothing, and antiques.
Local churches and community organizations will have baked goods, including
Irish soda bread and several kinds of cookies, ready to purchase and take
home.
There will be lots of food, including corned beef sandwiches, Greek gyros,
pretzel dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, pizza, French fried artichokes, and
hamburgers will be available when hunger sets in. There will be items to
satisfy the sweet tooth such as kettlecorn, funnel cakes, frozen cheesecake on a
stick, and green cotton candy. Beverages on sale will include fresh lemonade,
Irish coffee, and beer. The Calaveras Winegrape Alliance will be selling a
selection of fine local wines and the tasting rooms on Main Street will be
pouring their finest.
Weather permitting, there will be pony rides and face painting to entertain
the young folk. In addition, all the shops on Main St. will be open to explore
and appreciate.
Live
Entertainment
Live entertainment with a decidedly Irish theme will be presented
throughout the day on two stages and along Main Street. Bagpipe music by the
White Hackle Pipe & Drums and the Ripon Police & Fire Pipe Band will
fill the air. The Tommyknocker Cloggers will set everyone’s feet a tapping and
you'll even be able to see a Zumba demonstration. Among the other performing
groups will be Sequoia, Matt Cullen & Friends, the Mojo Bros, Grover
Anderson and Jim Bailey’s ever popular band, Plan B.
See the full entertainment schedule here.
Parade
At 11 a.m., to the swirl of bagpipes, the Murphys Irish Day Parade will
make its way down Main St. with St. Patrick’s himself as Grand Marshal. Helping
to create a Celtic atmosphere will be the White Hackle Pipe Band, and The Irish
Cultural Society of Stanislaus County. Providing music will be the Calaveras
Community Band and strolling trumpeter Dr. Jay Grimstead.
The Girl Scouts, in honor of the organization’s 100th birthday will lead
the parade. Members of the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Murphys 4-H, Murphys
Preschool, the Studio 4 Dance Studio, and the Michelson Extended Day program
will represent other young people of the area. There will be equestrian units
including the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Posse and the Peppermint Creek Carriage.
Among the other animals taking part will be the canine members of the Sierra
West Bernese Mountain Dog Club.
Local organizations participating will include the Native Sons of the
Golden West, with their giant California flag, and Soroptimist International of
Calaveras County.
Other entries will include Ironstone Vineyards, the Sheriff’s Department
and the Murphys Fire District. There will also be a leprechaun, or two, or
three.
Announcers Dave Bowman and Jim Bailey will be stationed along the parade
route to describe each entry as it passes.
Win a Trip to
Ireland
 The luck of the Irish will take on special meaning for one happy
couple when they are transported from a gold rush town with Irish heritage to
the fabled land of shamrocks and leprechauns as grand prize winners of the Win a
Trip to Ireland.
The prize includes round trip airfare to Dublin or Shannon, a rental car,
hotel stay on arrival, and five nights in a variety of bed and breakfast
locations sprinkled throughout the country. As is usually the case, some
restrictions apply.
Specially created local vacation prize packages will be awarded to three
runners-up.
- The first includes two nights lodging at Murphys Garden Cottages, breakfast
at the Murphys Hotel, dinner at The Kitchen, wine and food pairing from Val Du
Vino, golf for two at Sequoia Woods Country Club in Arnold, an outdoor activity
provided by Sierra Nevada Adventure Company, and embroidered tote and tees from
Bandera.
- Another package includes two nights in a vacation home from Murphys Vacation
Rentals, lunch at Mineral, dinner at Grounds Restaurant, golf for two at Sequoia
Woods Country Club, fifty percent off a Courtwood Wine Tour, a $100 gift
certificate from Creative Cookware, and embroidered tote and tees from Bandera.
- The third prize package encompasses two nights lodging at Milfiore Historic
Country Retreat, golf for two at Sequoia Woods Country Club, dinner at the
Murphys Hotel, wine and food pairing from Frog’s Tooth Winery, lunch at
Magnolia, massages and facials from Jillian’s Day Spa, and embroidered tote and
tees from Bandera.
Raffle tickets are five dollars each or five for $20. They are available
at several locations in Murphys including The Spice Tin, Yogurt Your Way, Tanner
Vineyards, La Folia Winery, Marisolio Olive Oil, Jillian’s Day Spa, NEXT -
Upscale Resale, Murphys Hotel, Sierra Nevada Adventure Company, and Tea
An‘Tiques. They also will be available only at the MBA booth in front of the
Native Sons Hall on Irish Day.
The winning tickets will be drawn at 4:00 p.m. on the Native Daugters
stage. You need not be present to win.
Free Parking & Shuttle
Service
Free parking will be available at Ironstone Vineyards on Six Mile Road. A
free shuttle bus, provided by Ironstone and the Murphys Business Association,
will run between Ironstone and the Arbors parking lot at Jones and Scott
Streets. Shuttles will leave approximately every 20 minutes from 9:30 a.m. to
5:30 p.m.
Weather permitting, paid parking will be available close to the event off
of Big Trees Rd. and Main St. and free parking will be available at the Black
Bart Playhouse parking lot on Algiers St. around 12:30 p.m. after the parade has
finished and cleared. Handicap Parking will be located in the Arbors parking lot
at Jones and Scott Streets.
There will be no parking from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Main, Church, Algiers,
Sheep Ranch, Scott, and Jones Sts. and Six Mile Road. When traveling to the
event motorists should use Highway 4, and not Murphys Grade Road.
Main Street will be closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the day of the event.
Traffic will be detoured along Church St. and through the Bret Harte Center from
the intersection of Main St. and Murphys Grade Rd. to Highway 4.
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