Every year on March 17, everyone is Irish. What began as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland has emerged as an international festival featuring parades, dancing, special food and drinks and a whole lot of green. As you make plans to celebrate, consider heading up the hill—because Lake Arrowhead Village is a great St. Patrick’s Day destination!

Before we share all of the revelry you’ll enjoy in the San Bernardino Mountains, you might enjoy hearing the history of the happy holiday:

• Born in Britain during the 4th century, St. Patrick was kidnapped and enslaved by Irish raiders when he was a teenager.
• Although he was able to escape after six years and become a priest in Britain, he later chose to return to Ireland as a missionary, in order to help spread the teachings of Christianity to pagans.
• According to Irish folklore, he also used a shamrock to explain the Christian concept of the Trinity to the Irish.
• In spite of continuous opposition from pagan leaders, he continued to evangelize for 30 years while baptizing newly converted Christians and establishing monasteries, churches, and schools.
• He died on March 17th and was canonized by the local church.
• The first time St. Patrick’s Day was publicly celebrated was in Boston in 1737, where a large population of Irish immigrants resided.
• Nearly 200 years later, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade in the Irish Free State was held in Dublin in 1931.
• During the mid-1990’s, the Irish government started using the event to promote tourism in Ireland.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Lake Arrowhead

Fortunately, you don’t have to fly all the way to Ireland to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Belgian Waffle Works, located in the heart of Lake Arrowhead Village, has lots of great options to help you mark the entire month of March.

You may already realize that we’ve got lots of great non-green beer. But did you know our menu also features specialty mixed drinks as well as delicious European fare?

Corned Beef & Cabbage–available especially for St. Patrick’s Day and served with Irish soda bread, don’t miss out. Available now through March 17.

Irish Coffee–you can order the authentic coffee blend or something a little less potent–Irish creamer. Either way, your coffee will sing with the luck of the Irish if you have a cup at Belgian.

Potatoes—whether you prefer them mashed, crosscut-fried or country fried, we love the potato as much as the Irish. For those who want to eat healthier, you can try our sweet potato fries. Okay—they aren’t exactly healthy in the traditional sense of the word. But they are a delicious alternative to the traditional spud.

Belgian Waffle Works: We Do Beer

Beer–green or not, you’ll love the exceptional collection we have. And, let’s face it–if you want to celebrate St. Paddy’s in style, you just have to enjoy a cold one.

Belgian Waffle Works is a full-service family restaurant featuring 17 original specialty Belgian-style waffles, homemade soups, fresh market salads, gourmet sandwiches, juicy burgers, homemade breads, Espresso, Cappuccino, premium desserts, wine, beer, specialty drinks and more. In fact, this year, our menu will include fondue. Belgian Waffle Works has won the Inland Empire Magazine readers’ choice awards–Best Breakfast and Best Meal under $10 in the Inland Empire–for the past four years. Our waffles are made from an exclusive mix, which is available for sale onsite and online. Come join us for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You’ll be glad you did!