Virginia City St. Pat’s party features Rocky Mountain oyster fry

VIRGINIA CITY — A ton of steer testicles, literally, are headed to the Comstock for the 28th annual Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry and St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 16 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Each year, cooks from around the region cook, fry, grill, smoke or otherwise serve up testicle concoctions at this event, an ode to the mining town’s history, according to a media release.

Known by many as the “testicle festival,” it is the largest St. Patrick’s Day party in the region. The day includes the Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry, Ball Breaker Saloon Crawl, a St. Patrick’s Day Parade, costume contests and an outlandish St. Patrick’s Day atmosphere.

Tastings begin at 10 a.m. with cooks competing for the title of “Best Rocky Mountain Oyster Cook in the West,” along with cash prizes. At noon, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade marches down C Street where green and outlandish reigns supreme. The Ball Breaker Saloon Crawl offers revelers the chance to sample St. Patrick’s Day-themed drinks from Virginia City’s historic saloons and restaurants.

Tasting packages and crawl cups are available in advance online.

Skeptical About a Testicle: $ $7 for three tastings

Flight of Ten: $15 for 10 tastings

Balls & Beer for Four: $95 for 40 tastings and four Ball Breaker Saloon cups

Ball Breaker Saloon Crawl: $20 for a cup

Leprechaun Cup: $8 for a designated driver cup for free non-alcoholic beverages along the crawl

VIB’er (Very Important Baller): $50 for 5 “fast passes” to skip the lines at your favorite booths and one tasting to all remaining booths, plus two Coors Lights at the event bar

The Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry is sponsored by Mustang Ranch Lounge, Coors Light-New West Distributing, Bucket of Blood Saloon and Cemetery Gin.

For information, visit VisitVirginiaCityNV.com.