The festivities will begin for most this weekend (read our St. Patrick’s Day survival guide for tips on everything from how to avoid the five-o when drinking to which Irish dishes will leave you more room for beer), but many of these spots will start celebrating even earlier:

The Atlantic Bar and Grill
Get in the Irish spirit all week at this Lincoln Square pub: Pour your own pint and keep the glass on Wednesday at 8pm, witness the sexiest Irish stems on Thursday’s Hottest Legs in a Kilt contest at 8pm, eat all the fish-and-chips you can handle for $10 and enter the Homemade Bread contest on Friday at 8pm, start with an Irish breakfast at 8am Saturday then catch a bus to the parade or stay and listen to Upyeboyo. Brunch buffet is served at 9:30am on Sunday and there’s also a bus to the South Side parade.

Bull & Bear
Start your St. Patty’s Day bright and early Saturday morning at this River North watering hole. Green Bud Light comes straight from a tap at five first-come, first-serve VIP tables, and a brunch menu is available from 9am until noon that includes fried green tomato eggs benedict. The party runs until 3am, and green beer is $.40 per ounce at the tableside taps or $4 for a draft from the bar.

Cagney’s Chicago
Enjoy traditional Irish music by Tim Fleming and Friends from Friday to Tuesday with a traditional Irish breakfast served daily: Banger’s and mash, shepard’s pie, corned beef and cabbage along with green beer and drink specials.

Chief O’Neill’s Pub
Looking to spend St. Patty’s festivities with someone? Head on over to Chief O’Neill’s on Thursday for “Single Mingle” night and drink $4 ice breaker cocktails, $3 Miller Lite bottles, and $3.50 Sam Adam Seasonal beer. Get your pre parade breakfast for $8.95 from 8am to noon on Saturday, and catch Chief O’Neill’s house band from 1-3pm, the Emerald Society Pipe Band from 10-11pm, and DJ Eddic Mac from 11pm-1am. Eat away your hangover on  Sunday from 10-2pm for $16.95, and catch the Irish Music School of Chicago from 3-6pm. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday with a dinner buffet from 2-11pm for $10. $10 cover for adults, children under 14 are free.

Cork & Kerry
This South Side stalwart doesn’t open until 10am on Sunday for the South Side Irish Parade, but expect parade watchers to line up around 8am. Local band Maggie Speaks will rock the beer garden beginning at 3pm where the green beer flows until 2am.

Corrigan’s Restaurant & Pub
Food is the key at this south side pub on Sunday morning for the parade. A corned beef and cabbage meal will run about $12.99, while other tasty snacks include $5.99 mini-Reuben sandwiches or “Irish” egg rolls priced between $2.99 and $5.99. Drinks are also available from one of the many shot girls or
beer tubs featuring $3.50 domestics.

Crossroads Public House
St. Patrick’s Day begins on Friday for this Lincoln Park bar. Specials includes $5 Jameson and Bushmill shots, $6 green beer pitchers, Guinness and  Smithwick drafts. A $20 breakfast buffet, which includes bloody marys, screwdrivers and green beer, will be offered from 9am until 1pm on Saturday and Tuesday morning.

D4 Irish Pub
If green beer is all it takes to get you in the St. Patrick’s spirit, head on over to D4 where their green Bud Lights and Guinness cans are on special Saturday and Sunday.

John Barleycorn
Head to both the Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville locations to catch these St. Patty’s deals on Saturday: $3 corned beef sandwiches, $9 Irish burgers, $8 corned beef and cabbage dinner, live bagpipers from 1-2pm in Lincoln Park, and 2:30-3:30 in Wrigleyville. On St. Patrick’s Day satisfy your Irish sweet tooth with $4 Guinness floats, $8 corned beef and cabbage dinner, $9 Irish burger, $3 Bushmills and Jameson Irish Whiskey shots, and $3 Guinness
stout pints.

The Kerryman
This River North bar will feature live entertainment including Irish dancers, bagpipers, musicians, and even face painters to get you into that St. Patrick’s Day spirit. Open at 7am until 2:30am on Saturday, specials include $7 green Miller Lite drafts.

Kroll’s South Loop
Eat and drink Kroll’s St. Patrick’s Day food and drink specials from Friday to Tuesday: Corned beef and cabbage, Guinness stew, Irish nachos, Shamrock  puff pastries filled with green pistachio cream, $5 Jameson shots, $5 green Leprechaun cocktails, $5 Bailey’s and Green Mint Martinis. Don’t forget to catch the World Academy of Irish dancers on Saturday night.

L & L Tavern
Drink like a real Irishman—cheap and divey. Sample some of L & L’s Tavern extensive whiskey selection, which offers specials Saturday, Sunday and St.
Patrick’s Day.

Murphy’s Bleachers
Wrigleyville gets in on the St. Patrick’s Day action on Tuesday offering green beer and corned beef and cabbage. Enter to win a trip to Ireland and other prizes.

Paddy Long’s
Test your luck at this Irish pub every Wednesday leading up to St. Patrick’s Day at a chance to win a free Guinness cup. Watch bagpipers and live Irish music while sipping on $4.50 Beamish Irish style beer on Saturday, or get your jig on to the Irish DJ spinning live on St. Patrick’s
Day.

Reggie’s Music Joint
Hit up Reggie’s at 9am on Sunday for the $7 buffet and live music and then board the shuttle for the South Side Irish parade that departs at 10:30am. The return trip will have you back at the bar around 3:30pm to indulge in numerous drink specials including half-price Harp, Guinness and Smithwick pints, $3 Bloody Marys, $13 Miller buckets, and $2 Busch tallboys. Live music is also a staple here as funk band the 409s, and rock acts Soraia and the Jagz hit the stage during the day.

Rockit Bar and Grill
This River North swank spot is getting in on the action with a number of St. Patty’s-themed menu items including corned beef and potato lasagna with  cabbage and Guinness potato-and-cheese soup. Wash it down with $5 Guinness cans and $6 Irish car bomb drink specials.

Sheffield’s
St. Patrick’s Day may be in the middle of the workweek, but that doesn’t mean there are no deals to be found. Sheffield’s in Lakeview opens at 8am on Tuesday and offers an a la carte breakfast of eggs, pancakes, bacon and sausage all day. Magic Hat No. 9 drafts are also on special for $4.

Shenanigans
Count all your lucky charms and enter to win WXRT’s raffle to be that special person who dyes the river green. Register at WXRT.com early, and be there in person when Jason Thomas announces the winner from 9-11pm on Thursday, or drink $3.50 Miller Lite drafts and listen to “Mahoney’s Road to Fame” winner Lauren Richie and her Sugarpushers band play live with no cover charge. Come to She-Nannigan’s again on St. Patrick’s Day to drink up $3.50 Bud Light drafts, and see who the Manno Brothers from Q101 give away free tickets to the sold out Flogging Molly show from 3-6pm.

Uncle Fatty’s Rum Resort
Saturday brings the 2nd Annual St. Fatty’s Day to this Lakeview bar. A $30 package offer all you can drink beer, well drinks, and a breakfast buffet from 9am until 1pm for the early crowd, or the same deal featuring all-you-can-eat corned beef from 9pm until 1am for the late night drinkers.

Compiled by Eve Fuller and Rich Giraldi