TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Tallahassee businesses brought in the green Thursday as some prepared for their first St. Patrick’s Day festivities since the pandemic began.
Several midtown spots closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the area has since made a comeback.
It was actually two years ago on St. Patrick’s Day when Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered all bars and nightclubs to close in Florida.
Finnegan’s was one business that stayed shut down for more than a year. Thursday, they were excited to be back on their feet.
“This year it’s gonna be a lot more fun,” Tallahassee resident Debbie Powell said.
Powell started her St. Paddy’s celebrations early, heading to Finnegan’s Wake at 11 a.m. for a full day of festivities.
“We’ve already had a little Bailey’s in a coffee this morning just to start off on the right foot,” Powell said.
Local bars are hoping to see plenty of more people like Powell.
“And hopefully kind of sink back into how it was before, bring back the, you know, the normalcy of it,” Cassidy Odom, a bartender at Finnegan’s Wake, said.
Finnegan’s Wake manager Max Frankel said he’s happy to be part of the resurgence of the Midtown bar scene.
“All the bars in this closet shut down, and it sort of drove a lot of people away from this area of town,” Frankel said. “So, I’m glad to be a part of bringing the people back out.”
Just a few blocks down the road, Brass Tap poured green beer for patrons and set up for a night of live music.
“We have corn hole and giant beer pong, we have live music all day,” Brass Tap manager Nate Fred said.
Brass tap closed its doors briefly in March 2020 but soon reopened.
“We’re expecting a big crowd,” Fred said.
It’s now part of a thriving midtown scene.
“Oh, it’s so exciting to be out, and it’s so exciting to have some venues that will have entertainment, and I think everybody’s just gonna have a lot more fun, and I think everybody’s really ready for that too,” Powell said.
Powell said after opting to stay in for St. Patrick’s Day the last two years, she was eager to get out this year and support local businesses at the same time.
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