TULSA, Okla. — Arnie's Bar in downtown Tulsa is celebrating 70 years of St. Patrick's Day tradition, drawing thousands of people to the Irish pub for live music, food, and plenty of green.
The bar is hosting six live Irish bands and four food trucks for the holiday, with hundreds of kegs ready for the crowd. Arnie's says it normally goes through 100 to 130 kegs around this time of year. The event is family-friendly until 8 p.m.
Owner and manager Chris Armstrong is encouraging everyone heading out tonight to use a rideshare service to get home safely.
Armstrong said the night is about more than just the holiday.
"We love getting everybody together. People come every year. It's just that I love to see their faces, and sometimes these people come from out of town. I only see them once a year, but then we have our regulars and everything else," Armstrong said.
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Arnie's Bar celebrates 70th St. Patrick's Day in downtown Tulsa
For some, Arnie's has become more than just a bar; it's a reason to put down roots. Adam Avitable discovered the pub two and a half years ago and says it played a role in his decision to make Tulsa home.
"A perfect dive bar. I came in, and I was like, 'No, I'm going to move to Tulsa.' So I was trying to decide, so I moved here. This was my decision. This was 100% my decision," Avitable said.
Now a regular, Avitable says Arnie's has the kind of atmosphere that keeps people coming back.
"So I always like somewhere where you come in, you kind of get to know the people, and they always seem like great people, and this is that bar," Avitable said.
For first-timers like Ashton Cotton, tonight marks a new kind of St. Patrick's Day celebration.
"Like, normally I'm home with my family, and we'll do like a party on our own, but this is new for me, so I'm having a great time. It doesn't matter where we are as long as I have friends and we're just hooting and hollering," Cotton said.
Avitable, who went all out on the green for the occasion, described the effort it takes to pull off the look.
"It takes a couple of hours usually to bleach it and then bleach it to the right level, and then re-dye it and let it sit, and then wash out. It's a whole process," Avitable said.
But for everyone gathered tonight, the focus is on what Arnie's has meant to Tulsa over seven decades.
"I think that it's an institution you can count on… and they're just shutting down the whole block and be able to make it a fun party for everybody to come and just have a great time," Avitable said.
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