John Scarffe, Coal Creek Canyon. The Coal Creek Canyon Improvement Association and the Last Stand Tavern, both on Highway 72, celebrated St. Paddy’s Day with music, food and drink on Saturday, March 20, 2021. The Association’s celebration was originally scheduled for March 13, but due to inclement weather, the event was postponed until March 20, 2021.

Organizer Ashley McNamara with the Coal Creek Canyon Improvement Association (CCCIA) said as a result the band they had scheduled, the Boulder Irish Collective, could not reschedule but gave permission to play their music during the event. The fund-raising event at CCCIA featured a corned beef and cabbage dinner with soda bread, the Irish music from the band and fiddling by McNamara’s oldest son, James. James said he has been playing the violin for 12 years and played some Irish tunes and classics. 

Tickets for members of the Association cost $10 and non-members cost $12. Customers drove through and placed their orders at tables outside the CCCIA building at 31528 Highway 72. The dinners were then brought to the cars, so no one had to enter the building except volunteers.

United Power is one of the event’s biggest supporters. McNamara said they canceled the event last year, but she has been assisting with the event for four years. She has been living in Coal Creek Canyon for 20 years. 

McNamara said after the event that the St. Paddy’s Day event was not as well attended as some of our other events, but they still served about 60 people, including volunteers, and raised about $600 towards the general fund. 

“I am grateful to United Power for their financial support, the Boulder Irish Collective for letting us play their music during the event, and all of our volunteers for their hard work,” she said. 

CCCIA had a drive-thru spaghetti dinner as a fundraiser for the Colorado Healing Fund in the aftermath of the Boulder King Soopers shooting on March 28, 2021. They had already raised almost $3,000 from this event before it began, and all the food was donated by a local restaurateur, Rob Scroggins. 

At the Pasta with Purpose Event, they served a few more than 200 meals and estimated that they raised more than $8,000 for the Colorado Healing Fund. McNamara said, “Special thanks to Rob Scroggins, owner of Canyon Sammies, for donating all the food and pulling this event off with less than a week to prepare for it.” 

CCCIA also organizes an Octoberfest and pancake breakfasts. Bruce Goodwyn said the organization puts on pancake breakfasts with pancakes, sausages and eggs four times per year for Mothers’ Day, Valentine’s Day, the Aspen leaves and the Fourth of July.

All the funds raised are used for scholarships, and they give out $3,000 per year in scholarships. They also hosted an Eggstravaganza for Canyon Kiddos on March 27.  For more information go to www.coalcreekcanyon.org.

The Last Stand, owned by Annette Lambeth at 32138 Highway 72 in Coal Creek Canyon, celebrated St. Paddy’s Day on March 20 with live music, food and drink specials and a costume contest. The band Lee and Gary opened at 4 p.m. performing a variety of popular music.

Last Stand brought in bartender Niamh Apple for St. Patrick’s Day. She has been living in Coal Creek Canyon for three years and working at Last Stand for three years.

Irish food specials included bangers and mash, a Rueben sandwich and three cheese baked potato soup. Drink specials included Irish breakfast shots, Breck Irish shots, Breck Nitro Irish Stout and Irish Mule.

Last Stand also sponsored a contest competition that night for the most original Irish garb with awards for the best duo or group. Staff voted at 8 p.m. and announced the winners at 9 p.m.

Andy Farwell won the most original costume, and two ladies won the duo, Tina Montoya and Hybre Thorne. 

The Last Stand Tavern is open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The phone number is 303-642-3180 and the website is https://laststandtavern.com or on Facebook. 

(Originally published in the April 1, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)