At The Field Irish Pub in the Gaslamp District, green beer isn’t the only thing on tap this weekend.
“The people, the energy, the smiling faces, the live music, the sense of community and excitement,” said Roger Troxell, a San Diego resident.
After two years of the pandemic, the atmosphere feels different.
“You still have to take little precautions here and there but everyone is allowed to be more relaxed and you can see it,” said Andrea Diaz, a San Diego resident. “No one is wearing masks or anything, everyone is more relaxed about the situation.”
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The large crowds are a welcome sight for the employees at The Field.
“It’s almost two years to the day when we were told that we weren't going to be able to celebrate St. Patty’s Day because of this coronavirus that we knew nothing about,” said Phillip Nestor, an employee at The Field. “It's definitely a special one this year.”
That feeling is echoed across the street at the Rustic Root.
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“We’re very happy to see people out,” said Arnoldo Castro, manager at the Rustic Root.
After experiencing two years of misfortune, businesses in the area are excited to finally experience some luck.
“Last year was a bit of a struggle for us, it was seasonal and even on our busy seasons, we weren't as busy as we were in the past,” said Castro. “To see festivals, street fairs conventions with their normal capacity is very good for our business.”
And with a handful of St. Patrick’s Day events planned through next weekend, these businesses are looking forward to a well-earned pot of gold.
