Since St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday this year, many will be free to drink themselves catatonic without any concerns on Sunday beyond a splitting headache.

Presented with a rare year where this most alcohol-soaked of holidays is unencumbered by life’s responsibilities, many people will want to really go crazy. They will also want to know what Sacramento has in store for their drinking and partying needs.

There are a handful of local bars that will be offering some festivities in the spirit of the holiday.

The Streets of London Pub, located at 18th and J streets, is throwing one of the more notable bashes in the downtown area. Beginning at 11:00 a.m., the bar will be transformed into a three-tiered beer garden, where the Guinness will be flowing like water all day long. The three sections will be composed of the interior of the bar, the outdoor patio and the parking lot behind the bar, which will be fenced off for the day. Bagpipers will be performing in the bar and the menu will be centered around corned beef and cabbage.

Brew It Up!, on the corner of 14th and H streets, is also throwing a sizable bash. It will be offering dining and drink specials all day and will have live bagpipers and Celtic music from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The bar will be giving away party favors and prizes throughout the night.

Brew It Up! also has its second annual Tour of Pubs. For $39, patrons will be escorted by bus from Brew It Up! to three other downtown bars – The Golden Bear, Elixir and Ink. The buses will run in a continuous circuit from bar to bar until 2:00 a.m., offering customers variety as well as safety for the holiday. Customers will also be given a bag full of party favors, a T-shirt and green beads.

The Press Club, on 20th and P streets, will be opening at 2:00 p.m. and will be offering all-day drink specials on, as new manager Susan Durst puts it, “all the Irish drinks.” Irish car bombs will be $5 and shots of Bushmills and Jameson Irish whiskey will be $3. DJ Arnold will be spinning ’80s and Top 40 music during the night.

Many bars will feature live music. The Torch Club, at 15th and I streets, will present Mind X, a local five-piece fusion band, as part of its self-proclaimed “St. Patty’s Day Party.”

The Monkey Bar, on 28th and Capitol, will have Venus Transit Authority performing at 11:00 p.m. with no cover. The bar is also offering drink specials on Guinness ($3.50), Irish Kisses ($6) and Irish car bombs ($6.50) and will be opening up Cafe Bernardo, located next door, to act in a spill-over capacity for what the staff anticipates will be a large crowd.

Old Ironsides, at 10th and S streets, is housing the biggest musical event of the evening, with three bands — Daycare, Chow Nasty and The Brodys — performing live. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m.

A couple of bars are using the holiday to unveil some new drinks to the public. Pyramid Alehouse, on 10th and K streets, will be adding a new beer called Tilted Kilt to the menu a few days prior to St. Patrick’s Day. River City Brewery, located in the Downtown Plaza Mall, will debut Irish Red Rye Ale to its patrons on March 16th.

Finally, the newly-opened restaurant and bar, McCormick and Schmick’s, on 11th and J streets, has plenty to offer Sacramento residents on Saturday. Opening at 2:00 p.m., the restaurant will feature Irish dancers, drink specials and corned beef and cabbage. Bar manager George Morales urgently stressed that customers call 916-442-8200 to make reservations in advance.

So whether you are Irish in blood or merely in spirit, a good time in Sacramento this St. Patrick’s Day does not have to be as difficult to locate as a four-leaf clover.

Brandon Wolfe can be reached at [email protected]