5 spots to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Lansing

Mike Vial performs his Irish Jams on St. Patrick’s Day at Claddagh Irish Pub. It won’t be a typical performance.

The show will mark his 1001st gig. Even though Vial lives in Ann Arbor, celebrating the milestone at Claddagh seems appropriate. It will be his fifth year performing there on St. Patrick's Day. It's become, he said, "a beloved musical home.”

“I reconnect to my father's heritage each year," he said, "playing his favorite renditions of Clancy Brothers tunes-- pub favorites like Black Velvet Band.”

This year, Vial will also play an old Irish folk song he just recorded for the Library of Congress at Folk Alliance, “a tune from the Alan Lomax archive,” he said.

Here are five places to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Lansing.

Claddagh Irish Pub

Where: Eastwood Towne Center, 2900 Towne Centre Blvd in Lansing Township.

What: St. Patrick's Day at Claddagh

Details: Claddagh’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration runs from 11 a.m. to midnight. Michigan’s Mike Vial performs an Irish mix from noon to 4 p.m., New Rule takes over with classic rock from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Mark Sala rocks Irish tunes from 9 p.m. to midnight. There's a $5 cover.

Information: www.claddaghirishpubs.com/lansing.

Dublin Square Irish Pub

Where: 327 Abbot Rd. in East Lansing

Details: Doors open at 7 a.m., and breakfast is served until 11 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day. Cover is $10 in the morning and dips to $5 later in the day. Expect live entertainment all day, including DJs in the back bar and bands in the front bar. Bagpipers will also perform throughout the day, and the patio will be open for good weather. Lansing's Dragspel will perform from 7 a.m. 11 a.m. (Dragspel also performs from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at The Green Door Blues Bar & Grill and from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Lansing Brewing Company.)

Information: www.dublinsquare.net.

Also at Dublin, but not on St. Patrick's Day: Irish Pub Sing at Dublin with song leader Rory Makem. This is part of the annual Mid-Winter Singing Festival’s monthly community sing. It’s an engaging event, with the audience encouraged to sing along. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show is 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday. Tickets run $10 online or at the door via www.brownpapertickets.com or 267-0410.

Information: www.singingfestival.com.

The Nuthouse

Where: 420 East Michigan Ave. in Lansing

What: St. Patrick’s Day-style March Madness.

Details: The Nuthouse will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, and this year’s St. Patrick’s Day will tie into March Madness.

“Our primary thing is basketball all day,” general manager Jason Evans said. “It’s the first day of the NCAA tournament, so we’ll have all the March Madness games on.”

They’ll also have drink specials (green beer, green tea shots and more) and a full menu available until midnight. There’s no cover to get in.

Information: www.nuthousesportsgrill.com.

Grand Ledge St. Patrick's Day Parade

Where: Downtown Grand Ledge

What: Mid-Michigan’s only St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Details: The Grand Ledge St. Patrick’s Day parade kicks off at 2 p.m. Saturday, in downtown Grand Ledge. They'll have everything you’d want from an Irish parade: bagpipers, floats, free candy. After the parade, enjoy an afternoon and evening at the Grand Ledge Opera House, including the Goodrich bagpipe and drum band and Irish dancing. Admission is free.

Information: www.glstpats.org.

Mac’s Bar

Where: 2700 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing

Details: If you want to rock on St. Patrick’s Day, then it’s a no-brainer to head to Mac’s Bar. Mac’s hosts a show on St. Patrick's Day, dubbed St. Pat’s @ Mac’s, with Diamond Jones, thurgokush, Homeboi, Big Ang, Classic FR, Jones Heraux and Radio Raheem. It’s good for those who don’t just want Irish music. Doors open at 8 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, and tickets are $10 in advance via www.macsbar.com and $12 at the door.

Information: www.macsbar.com.

Contact Anne Erickson at (517) 377-1006 or aerickson@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AnneErickson.