St. Patrick's Day at Avalon

my husband and our daughter at Avalon

In the past, my husband and I have always enjoyed St. Patrick's day celebrations in Virginia Highlands, but we thought we would do something different this year. October 2014, Avalon, an eat, live, play, shop community opened up providing a new type of shopping experience, and lucky me it is one mile from my parent's house. While picking up a few things at Pottery Barn Kids for my daughter, I read a sign promoting a family St Patrick's day celebration out on the lawn. I told my husband about it that night and we decided to check it out.
Celebrations began at 2pm, so naturally we got there at 2:20. The grassy field was packed with 
 little kids. The Avalon staff put out balls and hula hoops on the grass for the kids. The first thing we did when we got there was park our stroller and let our little girl run. And run she did. My husband chased from one end of the field to the other for almost two hours. Carter proved that she had a bit of fighting Irish in her as she went after every ball she saw. For Mom and Dad, there was Marlowe's Tavern offering to go cups of green beer and spirits to be taken out on the green field. My husband had a beer while I enjoyed a gimlet. At 4pm, a students from an Irish dancing school performed for everyone on the stage. We carried Carter to the stage so that she could see the little girls dance, she laughed and smiled. I wonder if I have a future Irish dancer in my midst.
This was a wonderful low key way to spend St Patrick's day especially if you have small children. Will we come here next year? Definitely.