HEPPNER — The leprechauns will roll out the green carpet for the Wee Bit o’ Ireland Celebration March 13-16 in Heppner. Although the downtown area is “shamrock central,” activities are also held at other venues.

“It started in the 1980s when a group of people wanted to preserve the town’s Irish heritage,” said Madison Rosenbalm, the Heppner Chamber of Commerce’s events director. “It’s nice to remember and honor why Heppner became Heppner.”

Family-friendly fun
The Great Green Parade starts at 1 p.m. Saturday on Main Street.

While many familiar activities return each year, Rosenbalm said there are some exciting new things for children, starting with Lucky Leprechaun Kid Night on Friday from 5-9 p.m. at Sage Garden Preschool. It features games, crafts and dinner — and it’s free for children ages 1-12.

Then on Saturday afternoon, a children’s rodeo featuring a petting zoo, goat tail tying, stick horse races and dummy roping wrangles in fun for the kids from 2-4 p.m. at the Morrow County Fairgrounds.

Louis Pearl, aka The Amazing Bubble Man, will showcase his skills as a bubbleologist while combining art, magic, science and, of course, bubbles from 2:30-4:30 p.m. And Kid’s Movie Night starts at 5 p.m. Both take place at the Gilliam & Bisbee Event Center.

“After the parade, it kind of dies down for families, so we tried to pack the afternoon with things for kids,” she said.

Beer, blarney and more
Get ready to mingle where stories are told during Beer & Blarney and A Wee Bit o’ Wine presented by Murray’s Drug from 6-10 p.m. at The Hub, 188 W. Willow St. Kids are welcome. Drink tokens are $5 each and a baked potato bar will be available. Musically Unstable will crank up the tunes.

Learn more about The Hub, the chamber’s new space, during an open house on Saturday from 2-5 p.m. Boarding House, aka the Doherty family band, will provide entertainment. In addition, there will be an art activity in the facility’s Art Center.

Irish musical sensation
And catch a performance featuring Sina Theil, an Ireland-based singer-songwriter. She will take the stage Saturday, 6-8 p.m. at the Heppner Elks Lodge. Come early for an Irish buffet dinner at 5 p.m. and stay late as Morrow County’s Joe Lindsay performs at 8 p.m.

According to her biography, Theil was born in Germany and started playing piano and composing her first songs when she was 7. At age 10, she moved with her family to Spain, where she played with a Spanish band and recorded her first demos. After becoming dissatisfied while working in the finance industry, she decided to sell her belongings and carve out a happier future.

“I used to dread going into work every day,” she said. “My dream was to carve out a music career for myself in Ireland. That desire and passion kept me going, even during the toughest times.”

Theil set her sights on Ireland because of the craic, an Irish word for a fun vibe or good times. She busked on the streets of Dublin to pay for her studies at the ​​​​BIMM Music Institute.

And her dedication paid off — Theil was named the Hottest Act in Irish Country Music during the Hot Country TV awards show in 2019 and was recognized in 2022 as the Rising Star of the Year by the American Celtic Listener Supported Radio music awards. She has been called an “Irish sensation.”

For more information, including links to the full schedule and registration forms, visit bit.ly/49PFsld. For questions, contact 541-676-5536 or heppnerchamber@gmail.com.