There's a good chance there will be quite a few St. Patrick Day revelers celebrating throughout Harford County, especially in downtown Bel Air and Havre de Grace, on both the Tuesday holiday and the days leading to it.
Revelers in in Bel Air can drop in at Looney's Pub on South Main Street Friday through Tuesday for live music, drink specials and food promotions, such as pit beef all day Tuesday, according to a flier.
Manager Apryl Jackson said the festivities at Looney's get "bigger and better every year," and that Saturday and Tuesday will be "our big days."
Jackson said patrons can circulate through the bar and restaurant, as well as in tents set up in the parking lot, to check out the various bands playing. The bands include The Beatles tribute group Fabtastic Four, which is scheduled to play from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday.
The operators of Main Street Tower also plan to have a major party in downtown Bel Air, which started Thursday with a "Fake Patty's Day" celebration, according to co-owner Mario Buontempo.
Thursday began a weekend music festival at the Tower.
"If the weather permits, we'll open up the deck," Buontempo said of the establishment's roof top.
The Tower will offer "tons of" drink and food specials, and will open at 8 a.m. Tuesday for a St. Patrick Day breakfast and drink specials.
"We have five to six DJs, and we have close to 20 different bands, all day on Tuesday," Buontempo said.
The operators of MaGerk's Pub & Grill on South Bond Street in Bel Air also plan to open one hour early Tuesday. The establishment will open at 10 a.m. that day, Scott Walker, director of operations, said. It normally opens at 11 a.m., according to the website.
"We'll have a special St. Patty's Day menu," he said.
A number of pre-St. Patrick Day festivities are scheduled for Saturday at MaGerk'slive music, a DJ and an engraved Guinness beer glass special.
"It's a four-day celebration, really," Walker said. "The two big ones will be Saturday and Tuesday."
Sean Bolan's Irish Pub on South Main Street will open at 8 a.m. Tuesday and an Irish breakfast will be available until 11 a.m., bartender Kat Manfuso said.
"We have bagpipers coming in during the day," she said.
Information about drink specials, such as a "Luck O'The Irish Pint Night" scheduled for Friday evening, can be found on Sean Bolan's Facebook page.
Alex Lee, general manager of MacGregor's Restaurant in Havre de Grace, said a "five-day St. Patrick celebration" begins today (Friday). Drink specials, food buffets, brunch and live music will be available each day.
Lee said there will be live music at the St. John Street establishment from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, and a bagpiper will perform from 4 to 7 p.m. that day. An "Irish menu" will also be available during the celebrations.
He said the crowd is expected to be a mix of regular customers and city residents.
"Normally, we have quite an eclectic crowd," Lee said.
MacGregor's neighbor on St. John Street, Coakley's Pub, will open at 8 a.m. Tuesday; the establishment normally opens at 11 a.m. according to its website.
Server Rachael Foucault said the theme will be "Green Eggs and Kegs," and dishes such as bangers and mash, shepherd's pie and corned beef and cabbage will be served. Green draft beers will be on tap.
"We're also giving out a complimentary Coakley's St. Patrick's Day glass," Foucault said.
The bar typically closes at 1 a.m., but it will close at 1:30 a.m. on St. Patrick's Day, according to Foucault. She said the restaurant will close at 10 p.m.
Laurrapin Grille on North Washington Street in Havre de Grace will not have many elaborate celebrations for the holiday, but "we do Irish features throughout the weekend," Dennis Theriault, the general manager, said.
Those features include traditional Irish foods and three samples of Laurrapin's Irish whiskey for $18, the general manager said. "Irish-style beers" will also be on sale beginning Sunday, according to a flier posted on the restaurant's Facebook page.
"Our big day is Mardi Gras," Theriault said. "That's when we go all out."