Bars opened early, students wore green and shamrocks and leprechauns were seen Saturday, as East Lansing celebrated St. Patrick's Day.
The March 17 holiday, which has been celebrated since Ireland's patron saint died about 460 A.D., kicked into full gear with green beer and eggs. It proved to be a profitable day for some bars, while typical for others.
"We're doing tons of food specials — green eggs and ham and beef stew," said Christian Dorsch, general manager of Harper's Restaurant & Brewpub, 131 Albert Ave., in an interview Thursday.
Harper's opened its doors at 7 a.m. and had live entertainment throughout the day, including a complimentary Irish breakfast buffet. The bar featured a 1980s cover band, Boogie Dynamite.
Harper's saw an increase in its sales from the last two St. Patrick's Days, assistant manager Renee Goodwin said.
"(The holiday) landed on a Saturday, rather than a day of the week, so people didn't have class," she said.
Harper's featured leprechauns brought from Ireland by a company called www.shortdwarf.com, Dorsch said. The company employs dwarves as entertainment for holidays such as St. Patrick's Day and Christmas.
Unlike other bars in the area, The Peanut Barrel Restaurant, 521 E. Grand River Ave., held regular hours.
Ann Clifford, a bartender and waitress at the restaurant, said the holiday wasn't very different from any other night besides of being busy.
"By the end of the night, we were just serving water and peanuts," she said. The bar removes customers who display visible signs of being inebriated.
Dublin Square Irish Pub, 327 Abbott Road, the newest bar in downtown East Lansing, took advantage of the holiday because it has a traditional Irish atmosphere.
The pub opened its doors at 7 a.m. and featured Celtic music. It opened Wednesday, just in time for the holiday.
However, entertainment wasn't short to come by with the men's basketball team playing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the University of North Carolina.
"Everything is all packaged into one. Everything is combined," Dorsch said in an interview Thursday. "You're talking from 7 a.m. to close — it's a full production."
