During the chamber’s regular meeting Wednesday at the Bull Pen Restaurant and Sports Bar, Irwin said Church of the Good Shepherd will host its annual Irish dinner from 5 to 6:30 p.m. tonight.

Friday’s festivities include the Tyrone Improvement Group’s Irish cookie crawl, which involves 17 businesses and groups this year, according to Chad Hunter of the chamber. Tickets will be sold at the Brew Coffee and Tap for $5 each beginning at 4:45 p.m., he said.

The cookie crawl runs from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, but organizers expect to sell out of tickets by 5:30 p.m., Hunter said.

From 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, the Tyrone-Snyder Public Library will host its Irish Heritage family fun night, featuring nearly a dozen crafts geared around St. Patrick’s Day for kids to enjoy, as well as traditional Irish games — cabbage crawl, potato bowling and more, said Justina Fuller, the library’s youth program specialist.

Tyrone-Snyder Public Library assistant director Lana Conrad decorates the library’s bookshelf Wednesday in anticipation for its Irish Heritage events. Mirror photo by Matt Churella

The library is the perfect location for the whole family to have fun because it’s located across the street from Hotel City Park, where officials will light the shamrock at 6 p.m., and people will have a great view of the Irish fireworks display that will be set off at dusk, Fuller said.

“We’ll have glow sticks and all sorts of fun stuff for families to come in and do,” she said, adding participants don’t have to register in advance for any of the library’s activities, which will also include special storytimes and Irish songs being played on the ukulele.

From 6:15 to 6:45 p.m., the Altoona Brass Collective will perform at Hotel City Park, Irwin said, noting the third-annual husband calling contest will take place afterward at 7 p.m. Friday.

Throughout the day Friday, the Brew Coffee and Tap will serve Irish-themed coffee drinks as part of the festivities, Irwin said.

Saturday’s events start with the Tyrone Race Series’ 5K or 10K gold rush race, which begins at 8 a.m. in front of the Tyrone Armory, Hunter said.

So far, 270 people have registered for the race, which is the most early registrations organizers have had, Hunter said, adding he expects between 330 and 350 people will participate in the race.

People can sign up for the race until Saturday, with in-person registration being available between 6:30 and 7:45 a.m. Saturday at the Armory, Hunter said, adding people can simply show up and pay with cash or card if they want to participate.

Day-of registration is $20 for students age 18 and under and $35 for adults age 19 and older, according to the race series’ website, www.runtrs.com.

Proceeds for the race will support the Tyrone Area Food Bank, which will also accept food donations of boxed cereal or oatmeal during the race, he said.

A kid’s gold race will take place at 9:30 a.m. before the street vendors open at 10, Hunter said.

At Hotel City Park, a “top of the morning” dog fashion show takes place at 10 a.m. and the Horseshoe Cloggers will perform at 11 a.m., Irwin said, adding Full Kilt will perform there between noon and 2 p.m.

Between 11 a.m. and noon, the library will host its Lucky Pi-Day program, which Fuller said is filled with several fun math-themed activities.

“Kids are going to be able to memorize the digits of pi by creating rainbow bracelets, and we’re going to have different scavenger hunts going on,” Fuller said.

Fuller said she’s excited to see the community come together and celebrate the borough’s Irish heritage. It’s estimated between 100 and 200 people will walk through the library’s doors this weekend, she said.

“It’s just so nice to see the community returning and getting together to celebrate not only their Irish heritage, but their community roots in Tyrone,” Fuller said.

Saturday’s activities will conclude with the “Luck of the Irish” parade, beginning at 2 p.m., Irwin said.

Rose Black, the chamber’s executive director, said the parade will follow its traditional route — from 14th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, turning onto 10th Street and then Washington Avenue and finishing on Ninth Street.

Irwin said an Irish worship service will conclude this year’s Irish Heritage Days at 7 p.m. Sunday at Kings Table Church.

“It’s a fun-filled weekend,” Irwin said.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.