Those looking to start the celebrations early on Saturday can catch the mile-long St. Patrick’s Day Parade at 11 a.m. in Dublin, Ohio.

“It’s kind of the unofficial kick off for St. Patrick’s Day,” said Trish Lackey, the parade manager.

The day begins at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast put on by the Dublin Lions Club. Breakfast will be served at Sells Middle School on 150 W. Bridge St.

During the breakfast a raffle will be held, and winners will receive prizes from local businesses. Raffle tickets can be purchased during the breakfast or before by contacting Scott Pape ([email protected]), according to the Dublin Lions Club website.

Other local businesses will be participating in the fun as well.

“We will be opening at 10 a.m.,” said Cathy Miller, supervisor at the Dublin Village Tavern. She said the restaurant menu will consist mostly of Irish cuisine such as corn beef and cabbage, Irish casserole and Irish egg rolls. The tavern is located on South High Street.

Dublin Village Tavern is not the only restaurant that will be involved in the festivities. Brazenhead will be serving Irish food specials such as shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, and corned beef and cabbage, and will have live entertainment throughout the day, manager Chris Parker said.

The entertainment will begin at “noon, and entertainment runs from noon to midnight,” Parker said. He added that Irish dancers and “bagpipe groups” will be on location, and there will be many free giveaways throughout the day. Brazenhead is located on North High Street.

Local businesses may be more inclined to join in a St. Patrick’s Day celebration due to the city slogan: “Irish is an Attitude.” The slogan was created through a branding effort by the Dublin Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, said Scott Dring, an executive director at the bureau.

“In Dublin we certainly do celebrate the name Dublin, Ohio, whenever we get a chance,” said Mary Jo DiSalvo, events administrator for the City of Dublin.

Due to the amount of events that are happening in addition to the parade, there seems to be something for everyone. This accessibility is evident by the number of people who usually attend, around 20,000, DiSalvo said.

“We have people of all ages at every parade,” DiSalvo said. “If you like to go out and just be entertained, then certainly there’s something here for you.”

The parade lasts for about an hour, because there are about 100 units in total, Lackey said. There is also plenty of parking available for the event. Basically “anywhere from the Metro Center, all the way down through Historic Dublin, and all down 161, there’s parking all around,” DiSalvo said.

More information and directions can be found on the city of Dublin website: dublin.oh.us.