Patch Picks: Your Kent St. Patrick's Day Guide

Downtown Kent is going green, but it has nothing to do with the environment. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, downtown bars will be serving up plenty o’ green beer, green shots and even green martinis throughout the day today.

Partiers can get their drink on starting as early as 5:30 a.m. at some establishments, with wake-up calls provided by a wandering bagpiper scheduled to make stops at several bars.

Can’t decide where to go green? Let Kent Patch help with this roundup of St. Patrick’s Day specials:

• The and Cajun Dave’s started the festivities a day early. Tavern owner Mike Beder said Irish musician Donal O'Shaughnessy entertained patrons Wednesday evening. Donal is known in the area as the annual St. Patrick's Day entertainer at Cleveland's famed Flat Iron Cafe. Today, the doors open at 6 a.m. for what Beder calls “Kent's biggest St. Patrick's Day Celebration.” Cajun Dave's kicks off the day with a $6 breakfast special that includes a mimosa. “As if getting up this early wasn't difficult enough, there will also be a bagpiper on hand to ensure you know what day it is,” said Beder. As a special treat, the bar has saved a keg of Great Lakes Christmas Ale that will be tapped for St. Patrick’s Day. Specials include $7 Miller Lite pitchers, $3 16-ounce Bud Light plastics and $3 shots of three olives purple, cherry pie and apple pie. The tavern also will be serving Irish favorites like Jameson, Bushmills, Michael Collins, Guinness, Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale and more. Beder said there will be giveaways throughout the day of green cups, T-shirts and beads. A bagpiper will make short appearances in the tavern between 7 and 9 p.m.

• Patrons of will be seeing green – even if they haven’t been drinking! General Manager Matthew Guska is changing all the lounge’s light bulbs over to green bulbs so patrons can be awash in color starting at 6 a.m. today. DJ Carly Delisio will be playing tunes from about 6 to 9 a.m., taking breaks when a wandering bagpiper stops in to perform. DJ MJ Parlay will spin records from 9 p.m. until closing. Drink specials at the lounge will include $3.50 Guinness draft pints, $3 Miller Lite bottles, $5 green martinis (apple or pear) and $2 green shots.

• will open at 5:30 a.m. and start serving breakfast at 6:30 a.m. The kitchen will be  closed from 10 to 11 a.m. to switch over to the lunch menu. Drink specials will include $3 22-ounce Miller Lites, $3 Long Island iced teas and $2 margaritas. Shamrock-decorated 16-ounce green aluminum bottles of Budweiser and Bud Lite will be available for $4. There will likely be giveways of beads and hats, a wandering bagpiper will make an appearance at BW3 from time to time and all televisions will be tuned into March Madness tournament games.

• will open today at 5:30 a.m. for kegs and eggs. Multiple specials and party-favor giveaways of beads and T-shirts will be going on throughout the day and night. Drink specials include $2.75 shots, $2 pints of Miller Lite and “a multitude of beers” for $2. A wandering bagpiper will make brief appearances in the early evening.

• will open its doors at 6 a.m. Happy hour specials start at 4 p.m. and will include $2 off any pitcher and 75 cents off any pint of beer. Irish car bombs (a beer cocktail made with Irish stout, Irish Cream and Irish whiskey) will be discounted, and shots of Jameson and Bushmills will be $3.

• The will be celebrating St. Patty’s starting at 11 a.m. with an array of traditional Irish foods on both the lunch and dinner menus. Drink specials will include a shamrock martini, the tipsy leprechaun and Irish car bombs, ranging in price from $4 to $5. On tap will be Harp, Guinness and Smithwicks – green if you so desire!

• The will open at 9 a.m. and offer specials of Miller Lite $2 pints or $7 pitchers, a whiskey and ginger ale for $2.50 and  shots, including orange bombs, Powers Irish whiskey and shamrock shakes, at $3 each. The pub will have beads and hats to give away.

• is sticking to its normal 11 a.m. opening time and its regular monthly drink specials, but will have a nod to St. Patrick’s Day in the form of giveways of beads, masks and noisemakers.

• will open at 11:30 a.m. and offer pints of Conway’s Irish ale for $4.

 Don’t drink and drive!

Need a ride home after a long day of St. Patrick’s Day partying? Make an appointment now, flag down one of the taxi companies that will be cruising the downtown district, or call from downtown:

• Porter at 330-328-9029, which is open 24 hours.

• 1 Fast Transport at 330-474-9411, which takes “on-demand appointments” and is open 24/7.

• Go2Go Taxi at 330-612-0204, which will extend its normal hours until about 4:30 a.m.