Santa Rosans get their green on for St. Paddy’s Day

For Bill and Becky Montgomery, Saturday’s celebration in downtown Santa Rosa provided a delightful marriage of St. Patrick’s Day and Old Courthouse Square.

The retired couple showed up “because we’re Irish,” said Becky Montgomery.

Her husband, a longtime Santa Rosa deputy parks director, added, “Anything that happens in the Square, we’re here.”

The Montgomerys were joined by hundreds of other celebrants Saturday at the first annual St. Paddy’s Day on the Square. The event offered the opportunity to get your green on, eat corned beef and raise a glass to all things Irish.

The day’s sponsor, Chandi Hospitality Group, owns 11 local eateries, including Stout Brothers Irish Pub and Restaurant on Fourth Street. Earlier this winter the company sponsored its first New Year’s Eve celebration on the square for Sonoma County residents.

“You just want to give them a reason to celebrate together, and that’s what we’re doing,” said Sonu Chandi, the company’s president and CEO.

Taking part Saturday were about ?10 nonprofits, including the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County and the Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County.

Chandi Hospitality brought in OTL Fine Catering of Petaluma to sell corned beef and cabbage with all the trimmings. The nonprofits would receive a donation from each meal served, the company said.

The Chandi family took over Stout Brothers two days before St. Patrick’s Day 2013 and quickly learned how popular the time is for many patrons.

“It’s one of the biggest days of the year” for the pub, said Joti Chandi, whose brothers include Sonu and Sunny Chandi.

The afternoon festivities included Irish dance performances, face painting, bounce houses and games. Adults could step up to an outdoor bar for beer, Irish Coffee and other mixed drinks, including the “Irish car bomb,” which featured Guinness Stout and Jameson Irish whiskey.

The Chandis, who own or have an interest in three downtown restaurants, said business has declined 10 to 25 percent at their establishments since last fall’s devastating wildfires. That makes events like Saturday’s celebration all the more important because those who come go on to “explore downtown Santa Rosa in a new way,” said Sonu Chandi.

The company, which had one of its Mountain Mike’s Pizza restaurants destroyed in the fires, is committed to making annual celebrations downtown for New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day.

“We don’t give up easily,” said Sonu Chandi. “That’s the Punjabi spirit in us.”

At a table near the catering booth, Desireé Medina was enjoying her corned beef and cabbage and getting acquainted with Lyda Negrón. The two Santa Rosa women had just met and learned they both grew up in New York City.

Both said they enjoy coming to the square, which was reconfigured a year ago after being divided for a half-century by a four-lane street.

“They did a really good job here,” Negrón said of the square’s reunification.

Medina said Saturday’s event amounted to a nice community gathering.

“You get food,” she said. “You get drinks, you relax.”

You can reach Staff Writer Robert Digitale at 707-521-5285 or robert.digitale@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @rdigit.