St. Patrick's Day on March 17 is the busiest day of the year for many Irish pubs in Canada. Pubs open early, some as early as 7 AM with a ticketed Irish breakfast, and run live Celtic music and step dancers into the night. It is not a statutory holiday, so when March 17 falls on a weekday the celebrations spread over the nearest weekends, when the big parades in Toronto and Montreal are held on Sundays.
Pub offers for the day are mostly themed rather than discounted: limited-time Irish menus with corned beef, bangers and colcannon or Guinness stew, Guinness and Irish whiskey features, and cover charges or wristbands for entry at the busiest rooms. Pub chains such as the Firkin group have run a St. Paddy's menu for several weeks leading up to March 17 at participating locations.
Expect lineups and few reservations on the day. Some well-known Irish pubs do not take bookings for St. Patrick's Day at all, while breakfast parties and ticketed events sell out ahead, often with an early-bird price. The regular pub and sports bar deals that land on the date, such as wing nights and drink specials, are listed below the specials.