Spring is almost here and the city is about to turn green—with St. Patrick’s Day revelers, of course. That means its time to come up with a St. Patrick’s Day plan. For me, this requires intensive Internet searching to see what’s going on at the many Irish pubs in DC. After all that work, I thought I should share what I’ve found. Here are just a few of the many festivities taking place on March 17th. Check websites for updated details and cover charges before heading out.

RiRa

In Georgetown, RiRa will open at 10 a.m. They have live music throughout the day, with The McCarthy Brothers playing at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. and Derek Dempsey and Celtic Soul at 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The Dubliner

Near Union Station Metro, The Dubliner doors open at 10 a.m. with a tented patio and live Irish music throughout the day on multiple stages, including John McGrath, Morris Minor, and Jimmy Raferty & Paddy Halligan. There will be a $10 cover charge all day.

Kellys Irish Times

Also near Union Station, Kelly’s Irish Times offers a more traditional St. Patricks Day experience. They will open at 11 a.m. and do not charge a cover charge. I also hear that they’ve added a new whiskey bar, just in time for St. Paddy’s Day.

Fado Irish Pub

In Chinatown/Gallery Place, Fado Irish Pub’s doors open at 8 a.m. for a traditional Irish breakfast. They will have Irish dancers and Bagpiper’s throughout the day and live music at 2 p.m. (Ice Wagon FLU) and 8 p.m. (Lloyd Dobbler Effect). A $10 cover charge starts at noon.

Irish Channel

Also in Chinatown/Gallery Place,The Irish Channel opens at 11 a.m. They will have specials and fun throughout the day, with an Irish Pipe and Drum Band performing along with other local artists. No cover charge.

Jack Rose Dining Saloon

Near U Street and Florida Avenue, the Jack Rose Dining Saloon opens at 4 p.m. with the rooftop open and Irish Happy Hour until 9:00pm. That means $5 pints, $6 punch, and $7 whiskey.

Irish Whiskey Public House

On 19th Street between Farragut North and Dupont Circle, the Irish Whiskey Public House is opening at 11 a.m. for an all day St Patricks Day Party. Details of the day were not divulged on their website.

James Hoban’s Irish Restaurant and Bar

On Dupont Circle, James Hoban’s Irish Restaurant and Bar opens early for Kegs and Eggs from 9 – 11 a.m. and then Irish lunch from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Live music starts at 4 p.m. with William Dickie followed by Small Town at 8 p.m.

Be forewarned—Pub crawlers are going to start to take over Dupont Circle starting at 3 p.m. (see below)

Dupont Circle Pub Crawls

Depending on your point of view, Dupont Circle is either a great place to be on St. Patrick’s Day, or the last place you want to be. There are two pubcrawls taking place on the same evening:

The Official St Patrick’s Day PubCrawl Washington D.C. starts at 3 p.m. with registration at Sign of the Whale. There will be 15 – 30 bars participating, all in the Dupont Circle area, but the list will not be released until the day of the crawl.

The Washington DC St Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl starts at 5 p.m. with registration at Buffalo Billiards. There are 11 bars participating in this crawl, which are listed on the website.