Saskatoon Irish pubs open their doors for a distanced St. Patrick’s Day

After last year’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities were cancelled due to COVID-19, some Irish pubs in Saskatoon are looking forward to opening their doors once again.

O’Shea’s Irish Pub owner Daniel Ford Beavis said he and his staff are feeling lucky this St. Patrick’s Day to be able to open for some good green fun.

“We put on extra staff today for extra sanitization because we expect to have more turnover of the tables and things like that,” he explained.

“We’re more worried about making sure that everybody is safe and isn’t stressed out more than trying to draw a big, giant crowd down here.”

Beavis added if Saskatoon residents are looking to get together with people outside of their bubble, local bars are not the place to do that.

“It’s going to be different,” Beavis said. “Normally we say, ‘Everybody come down and party, it’s St. Patrick’s Day.’ This year we’re hoping for people to come down, have a drink or two, eat lunch and then head on home. We’re not looking for the big party crowd that we’re normally looking for.

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“We expect that our customers who have been coming here for the last 19 years will continue to be respectful.”

Customers can still get that classic green pint to celebrate the occasion, and Finn’s Irish Pub in Park Town Hotel is giving out scratch tickets with each purchase.

“If you are the winner, the hotel will actually buy you a green beer,” Park Town Hotel General Manager Salil Kulkarni said Wednesday. “We’re still going to keep it as entertaining as possible. It’s going to be different but at the same time, it’s going to be lively.”

Tourism Saskatoon said in a statement to Global News the day is a good opportunity for the community to come together, so long as it is done safely:

“By supporting local businesses at this time you are supporting the local economy,” the statement read. “Make plans with your bubble to visit a pub or restaurant or order in and celebrate at home with your family. We encourage everyone to enjoy responsibly!”

Specials are on all week at local Irish pubs in an effort to space out crowds.

Provincial health guidelines are still in place regardless of the venue, and businesses are reminding everyone to wear a mask, wash their hands and keep their distance.