Weekend picks: Lots of ways to fete the Irish today
Celtic gathering
Celtic bands, Irish step dancers, bagpipers and special viewing areas for NCAA Tournament games are all a part of the Barrington Celtic Fest today near McGonigal's Pub, 105 S. Cook St., Barrington. Celebrate indoors and out under a large heated tent. Admission is free until 6 p.m.; after 6 p.m., admission is $5, part of which will be donated to the American Cancer Society. (847) 304-3400 or mcgonigalspub.com. 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. (in the tent) and to 2 a.m. (in McGonigal's) Saturday, March 17
Indoor blooms
Growers of indoor flora like African violets, primrose and lipstick plants won't want to miss the Northern Illinois Gesneriad Society Show & Sale this weekend at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Free admission, but parking is $20 per car. (847) 835-5440 or chicagobotanic.org. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 17 and 18
Disney dames
The stories of “Cinderella,” “Snow White” and “Beauty and the Beast” come to life onstage in “Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales,” which plays this weekend at the Akoo Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont. $15-$33.50; $47.50-$70 VIP or front-row seats. (800) 745-3000 or disneylive.com. 11 a.m., 2 and 5 p.m. Saturday, March 17; 1 p.m. Sunday, March 18
Emmett's big St. Patty's fun
There's big fun to be had by adults who probably know better at Emmett's Ale House's annual big wheels race. Spin your hollow plastic wheels in Grafelman Park to kick off the day's events at the ale house, 128 W. Main St., West Dundee. Emmett's drink specials include Irish Stout and Mccarthy's Irish Red pints for $5.25, as well as $5.50 pints from the Firkin Tapping, a cask-conditioned beer. (847) 428-4500 or emmettstavern.com. Noon Saturday, March 17
Dead man's party
The comic interactive Irish wake comedy “Flanagan's Wake” returns specially for St. Patrick's Day weekend at two locations: Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. $32. (630) 584-6342 or pheasantrun.com. Also, at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. $35. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com. 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 17, in Arlington Heights; 8 p.m. Saturday, March 17, in St. Charles
New Cerrudo
The Spring Series of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago continues this weekend with the world premiere of “Little mortal jump” by choreographer/dancer Alejandro Cerrudo, plus the returns of Sharon Eyal's “Too Beaucoup” and Alonzo King's “Following the Subtle Current Upstream” at Millennium Park's Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Drive, Chicago. $25-$94. (312) 850-9744 or hubbardstreetdance.com. 8 p.m. Saturday, March 17, and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 18
Mate's magic
Batavia magician Ken Mate performs his comic tricks this weekend at the Laughing Chameleon, 1830 Tower Drive, Glenview. $18-$25. (847) 834-0291 or laughingchameleon.com. 8 p.m. Saturday, March 17
Operation integration
Gurnee resident and Shattered Globe member Doug McDade directs Clockwise Theatre's production of “Palmer Park,” by Joanna McClelland Glass. Set in 1967, just after race riots rocked Detroit, the drama is about two professional couples — one black, one white — who buy houses in the once tony suburb of Palmer Park, Mich., during integration's early days. See it at 221 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $16.50. (847) 775-1500 or clockwisetheatre.org. 8 p.m. Saturday, March 17, and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 18
Lake County rocker
Libertyville native Ike Reilly has earned acclaim for his gritty, literate songs about regular people struggling to find their way in the world. Musically, Reilly displays the ability to hop from genre to genre, delivering a punk-blues stomper one moment, a classic pop song the next. He will appear with his band, the Ike Reilly Assassination, at Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. $18. Go to lincolnhallchicago.com. 9 p.m. Saturday, March 17
St. Patty's sushi on the house
Corned beef and cabbage not your cup of tea? Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a free sushi buffet at Shaw's Crab House, 1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg. Sushi choices will include a St. Paddy's inspired roll made with smoked salmon and crab on the inside, spinach tempura crumbs on the outside, all topped with basil cream cheese, lemon mayo and chili sauce. (847) 517-2722 or shawscrabhouse.com. 10 p.m. to midnight Saturday, March 17
Lego art
See Lego models of Geneva's historic Third Street at the Northern Illinois Lego Train Club exhibition at the Geneva History Center, 113 S. Third St., Geneva. See Geneva's downtown shops replicated in Legos. Admission is $5 for adults; $3 for Geneva History Center members and children. (630) 232-4951 or genevahistorycenter.org. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 18
Sit, Fido!
Alex Brooks, owner of the Alex Brooks Canine Center in Des Plaines, hosts a “Top Dog” dog behavior program at the Round Lake Area Public Library, 906 Hart Road, Round Lake. Learn how to guide your pet to its best behavior. Brooks will be joined by two of his own dogs for demonstrations. Note: No pets from the audience are allowed at the program. Free. (847) 546-7060 or rlalibrary.org. 2 p.m. Sunday, March 18
Midwest Dance Collective
The Midwest Dance Collective presents the theatrical dance concert “Your Guess is as Good as Mine,” with guest performers from the Barrington High School Orchesis dance team, at Barrington High School, 616 W. Main St., Barrington. Tickets cost $8-$10 and are available at the door. (847) 382-2789. 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 18
Belly dancing
The Pineapple Dance Studio presents a performance of the art of Middle Eastern belly dancing at the Ela Area Public Library, 275 Mohawk Trail, Lake Zurich. Free. No registration required. (847) 438-3433 or eapl.org. 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 18
‘National Romanticism' concert
The Northwest Symphony Orchestra presents its classical “National Romanticism” concert at Maine West High School Auditorium, 1755 S. Wolf Road, Des Plaines. $10-$20. (847) 895-7271 or northwestsymphony.org. 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 18
Gospel concert
The College of Lake County Gospel Choir performs at the Lumber Center for the Performing Arts at College of Lake County, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. $4-$5. (847) 543-2300 or clcillinois.edu/tickets. 4 p.m. Sunday, March 18
Music in the Barn
Soprano Stephanie Sheffield, harpist Alison Attar and lutenist Joel Spears present a concert of songs and instrumental music from the Ars Nova to the early Renaissance period at the Byron Colby Barn at Prairie Crossing, 1561 Jones Point Road, Grayslake. Tickets cost $15 at the door. (847) 543-1202. 4 p.m. Sunday, March 18
‘Sleaze-rock' veterans
Faster Pussycat formed in the metal-crazed 1980s, specializing in a grimier, “glam-ier” form of metal that the band refers to as “sleaze rock.” The group hit it big with its self-titled debut album and its follow-up, “Wake Me When It's Over.” Over the years the band has added industrial elements to its sound and undergone a series of membership changes. The latest incarnation makes a stop at Penny Road Pub, 545 Penny Road, South Barrington, behind its most recent release, the live record “Front Row for the Donkey Show.” $12. Go to pennyroadpub.com. 5 p.m. Sunday, March 18