ORLANDO, Fla. – In Central Florida, people are heading out to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and many bars and small businesses are hoping the holiday brings in lots of customers after a rough couple of years.
On Wall Street in downtown Orlando, plans are in place for festivities through the evening.
In Winter Garden, the excitement was felt big time at the annual Crooked Can Brewing Company Celtic Street Festival.
“It’s always good entertainment here and to support the local economy too,” Aime Gignac said.
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Many bar and restaurant owners said support is what it’s all about, especially this year.
“We didn’t have our event last year and 2020 was obviously when the world was starting to shut down,” said chief executive Alan Delahunt from the Crooked Can Brewing Company. “It’s huge for us, it’s huge for some of our vendors and our small businesses to get people back.”
It was St. Patrick’s day in 2020 when bar owners said their lives changed — many of them were forced to shut down because of local and statewide restrictions when the pandemic first hit.
Jason Lambert, owner of the Hammered Lamb near downtown Orlando, said he saw a major reduction in sales over the past two years.
“The last two years with covid have been unbearable. As you know a lot of bars and restaurants in the community have shut down,” Lambert said.
The Crooked Can Celtic Festival goes through Saturday.
“We’re thinking this is going to be a record, it could be way up there. We’re hoping, we’re prepared for it,” said Mike Mullen, General Manager of the Local Butcher and Market in Winter Garden.