What began as a suggestion from a group of Irish revelers—and grew into a Lake Norman institution—is returning under new auspices for the first time in more than five years.

Chris Boukedes launched the Galway Hooker St. Patrick’s Day party in 2008 the year after buying the establishment. Over time, it became the second-largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the Charlotte metro, attracting thousands of revelers clad in green each year.

This year, he’ll dust off his shillelagh for the first St. Patrick’s Day Block Party at Boatyard Lake Norman on Saturday, March 14.

The new event will feature many of the elements that made the original so popular, including live music on two stages from Trae Pierce & the T-Stones, Diamond Dixie and Charlotte’s own Bourbon Sons, followed by a late-night dance party with DJ Wheelz.

The lineup also includes Irish dancers and bagpipers, along with themed cocktails, drink specials, whiskey flights, backyard games, costume prizes and giveaways.

The event runs from noon until closing. Admission is free before 2 p.m. and $10 per person after 2 p.m. Anyone wearing Galway Hooker shirts or hats will receive free admission all day. Tickets go on sale at 8 a.m. tomorrow, and advance purchase is the only way to guarantee entry.

One notable change is the size. The Boatyard party will be limited to the venue’s indoor and outdoor spaces, with Boukedes expecting around 1,000 party-goers—down from the roughly 6,000 who once filled Kenton Square.

That also means scaling back some of the carnival-style attractions, such as large inflatable slides and food vendors.

“The Hooker was an Irish pub, and Boatyard is Boatyard,” he said. “We’re going to throw a party on Saturday, and on St. Patrick’s Day I’ll be at Harp & Crown drinking a proper Guinness.”