There will be a host of St Patrick's Day celebrations in Nottingham for the first time in three years.
Nottingham City Council has confirmed festivities will go ahead on Thursday, March 17, with bars, pubs and restaurants all also open and offering entertainment to anyone out celebrating.
A festival will be taking place across the city, organisers have confirmed to Nottinghamshire Live, with a concert in Old Market Square from 12pm until 4.30pm.
The Mass of St Patrick and Blessing of Shamrock will take place at 9.30am at Our Lady and St Patrick's Church in Robin Hood Way, The Meadows.
The Council House will also light up green - as it has in previous years when celebrations were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic and social restrictions.
There will, however, not be a parade this year - with festivities focused around the live music event in Old Market Square.
The festival organiser, Gerry Molumby, explained the challenges the organisers have faced in the run-up to this year's event.
He said: "We were very organised in the run up to 2020, around March time, but about three or four days beforehand Boris Johnson delivered that speech and everything changed.
"We were all set up to go but it couldn't happen. Fast forward to Christmas this year, and, with the new variant, we weren't sure how things would pan out.
"So we didn't get properly started until January time - usually we'd be planning around September the year before.
"We're definitely ready - we have been liaising with the council about the logistics. It should be a great day celebrating the Irish community in Nottingham."
Meanwhile, the day is a big one for the hospitality industry - with revellers set to flock to venues across Nottingham.
Paul Reddington, the owner of the Greyfriars social club in St Ann's, told Nottinghamshire Live: "Absolutely we're excited - it's the busiest day of the year. We hope it will be at least.
"We start at 9am serving an Irish breakfast, then there is live music on at 10am and live music will continue throughout the day, in the afternoon and into the evening.
"Now people have got a little more freedom at last, we're hoping the whole Irish community will come out and celebrate with us.
"It's great that we can do the day properly this time around."
Meanwhile, at O'Neill's in Old Market Square anyone named Patrick or Patricia can get a free pint of Guinness from March 14 until March 16.
They have also launched a limited edition 'Pot of Gold bomb' drink and are offering a St Patrick's bottomless brunch to customers.
Raglan Road Irish Bar, located in Derby Road in Nottingham, announced on social media it was gearing up for its "biggest" St Patrick's Day.
In the run-up to the big day, there will be acts performing at venues such as the social club on Carlton Hill, Cathedral Hall and Broadway Cinema.
Councillor Eunice Campbell-Clark, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture, and Schools at Nottingham City Council, said: “The annual St Patrick’s Day parade is a joyful and vibrant event which brings so much to our diverse city.
"The generosity of the Irish community in putting on this event for Nottingham is wonderful. We felt for them after the necessary cancellations due to the pandemic.
"It is so wonderful to have the event back again in the city this year so everybody can celebrate, and Nottingham City Council is proud to support them.”
The mayor and Sherriff of Nottingham will be attending the event and this year the city is twinned with the county of Cork.
For more information on the event, click here.
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