Patrons at one Encinitas restaurant got lucky Friday when they received a visit from an adorable, red-haired boy dressed in a bright green leprechaun outfit.
His name is Beau Fake. He’s 6 years old. Since he was a wee lad, he’s been visiting the Lumberyard Tavern on South Coast Highway 101 with his parents on St. Patrick’s Day, celebrating his family’s Irish heritage and bringing candy wrapped in gold foil to others who are dining there.
“We’re Irish. We’re fourth-generation San Diegans. My grandmother is Irish, so St. Patrick’s Day has always been very special for our family,” the boy’s mother, Jenny Fake, told NBC 7 on Friday.
From the moment she and her husband Mike laid eyes on Beau, the couple knew he was destined to double as a little leprechaun on St. Patrick’s Day.
“When we had Beau, we hadn’t seen red hair come up in the family for two or three generations,” she said. “We had him, and he had this beautiful red hair, and I said, ‘This is my little leprechaun.’”
The couple decided to share their lucky lad with the world. They began bringing baby Beau to the Encinitas restaurant dressed in his best green gear, of course.
“He just looks like a little Irishman. It just came naturally, to our family, to do this with him,” Jenny said.
Local
Jenny said everyone at Lumberyard Tavern knows Beau.
“He’s a showman and he really enjoys making other people happy,” Jenny added. “We love watching him. We just love our little guy.”
The family’s fun St. Patrick’s Day tradition has lasted six years.
Beau expects it to last a few more.
“Until I’m 15 years old,” the boy said, of his future as a leprechaun.
At first, he said he would uphold the tradition until he’s 100 but, after thinking it through, he decided the age of 15 is more reasonable.
“I hand out chocolates,” Beau said, explaining his St. Patrick’s Day duties. “They say, ‘Thank you for giving me golden chocolate!’ [I say to them] ‘Happy St. Patrick’s Day!’”
Beau did his job well on Friday, grinning from ear-to-ear as he went around the tavern wishing patrons a Happy St. Patrick’s Day and giving them candy from a little black pot.
Waitresses hugged him; one customer gave him a green necklace in exchange for his kindness. Everyone gave him a smile.
When asked why he does this, the boy’s answer was simple: “Because I like it.”
Beau said he plans on getting a new, bigger leprechaun outfit for his gig when he’s around 10 years old. In addition to St. Patrick’s Day, he said he’s a big fan of Christmas, and Halloween, too.
