Patch Picks: 5 Places to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

It's St. Patrick's Day, and if you're Irish, chances are you're already parked on a bar stool somewhere drinking a tall glass of green beer. But, if you still need some ideas, here are Brighton Patch's Picks for a festive time:

• The party started at 7 a.m. at this downtown Brighton bar, which opens its heated patio today. Food and drink specials, Guinness Girls and live entertainment — including bagpipes, Irish dancers, and music from Larry Conklin, Shawn Walker and Scotty Alexander — last all day, with a disc jockey spinning 10 p.m.-2 a.m.
• are on the menu at Champ's, which expects to go through 700-800 pounds of corned beef today as it cooks up traditional Irish dishes starting at 11 a.m. Also on tap at this downtown Brighton hotspot are green beer, Irish Car Bombs and live music by Russ Clement from 6 p.m. to close.
• : The newest Irish bar in town opened at the site of the former Sean O'Callaghan's in Green Oak Village Place just in time for St. Patty's Day. Folks inside the bar can watch NCAA March Madness and enjoy hourly drink specials. Outside, the party may get a little wilder in a huge heated Red Bull tent, with radio stations broadcasting live, deejays and bands from noon to midnight, and live band karaoke starting at 9 p.m.
• More into basketball than the Blarney stone? Buffalo Wild Wings in Brighton is all about NCAA March Madness tonight, but green beer adds a little spirit to the games. At the Howell outpost of B-Dubs, brews are only 25 cents today.
• If you're looking for a way to celebrate that's a bit more tame, this church, located on Rickett Road, is hosting a community outreach dinner tonight at 6:30 p.m. Corned beef, cabbage and noodles will be served. Call 810-229-7051 to reserve a spot.