Weekend Best Bets: St. Patrick's Day parade, theater

RALEIGH, N.C. — Our picks for what to do this weekend:

Raleigh St. Patrick's Day Parade - Starting at 10 a.m., the annual St. Patrick's Day parade will roll through the streets of downtown Raleigh. Following the parade, a free festival will take place in City Plaza featuring live music, food, vendors and more. Tir na Nog, which is right across the street, will also be holding events inside and outside and in Moore Square.

Glenwood South Celebration - Hibernian Co. and Napper Tandy’s are hosting this the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration in downtown Raleigh’s Glenwood South district on Saturday. The party is in the 300 and 400 blocks of Glenwood Avenue. Everything starts at noon and there is free admission until 4 p.m. After that, it is $5 a person until 11 p .m. There will be live music, cold drinks, great food and a host of local and regional vendors. A portion of the proceeds from the festival will benefit Shop Local Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association.

CNL St. Patrick's Day Bar Crawl - Our friends at Carolina Nightlife Raleigh are hosting a bar crawl on Saturday afternoon. The crawl will visit 10 bars on Glenwood Avenue. The crawl starts at 2 p.m. at Clockwork. Advance tickets are $10 and the day of those tickets go up to $20.

St. Baldrick's events - There are a few St. Baldrick's events happening Saturday. Natty Greene's in Raleigh is hosting one from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saints and Scholars Pub in Raleigh is also holding one on Saturday.

Wizard World Comic Con Raleigh - This pop culture event takes over the Raleigh Convention Center Friday through Sunday. Celebs attending this year include "Dr. Who" star David Tennant, Ian Somerhalder from "The Vampire Diaries," William Shatner and Sean Astin. Tickets are $35 a person. Autographs and photos will cost extra.

Kinky Boots - The Tony award winning Broadway musical plays the DPAC through this weekend. This inspirational story follows a struggling shoe factory owner who works to turn his business around with help from Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos.

Peter and the Starcatcher - Another great production happening at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. The hilarious Broadway tale of the Neverland you never knew runs through Sunday.

UniverSoul Circus - This is the last weekend to see this hip hop-inspired circus at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre. The show runs through Sunday.

Comfort Food Cook Off - This fundraiser is Sunday at the Cotton Company in downtown Wake Forest. Enjoy some comfort food prepared by local chefs, including ones from The Angus Barn and Big Al's. The event is a fundraiser for The Shore Grief Center. Tickets are $35 for adults, $15 for teens and children ages 12 years and younger are admitted for free.

Tobacco Road Marathon and Half Marathon - The routes feature Cary and Western Wake County. The marathon route includes more than 20 miles of the American Tobacco Trail. The race is Sunday and starts at 7 a.m.