St. Patrick’s Day is the day when we love to celebrate everything Irish. We eat corned beef, raise a pint of Guinness, and get all decked out in our best green outfits. Of course, there is music involved in these celebrations, be it traditional Celtic jigs and reels or our favorite rock or bluegrass music.

Because St. Paddy’s falls on the weekend this year, you’ll have plenty of musical options. Let’s start by looking at all that’s happening on the actual holiday: Sunday, March 17. All of these special musical events are held in the afternoon, primarily focus on traditional Irish music, and are, as an added bonus, free of charge.

Ragged Blue will provide the soundtrack to the festivities at The Brewery at Four Star Farms, in Northfield, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. The local band, which features John Rough on banjo, Corki Demers on fiddle/mandolin, Joe Blumenthal on bass, and Terry Atkinson on guitar, is known for the unique blend of bluegrass, Celtic, jazz, folk, and contemporary music they play. For this show, they will be playing Irish ballads, jigs, reels, and waltzes along with some of their bluegrass tunes, and yes, they will be wearing green.

Four Star has more to offer for the holiday. The day will kick off with Pogues Musical Bingo from 12 to 3 p.m.

There will also be a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner available, as well as other St. Patrick’s Day-inspired menu items prepared and served by Port No. 3

The Boys of the Landfill will provide the soundtrack for the St. Patrick’s Day celebration at Element Brewery Company in Millers Falls playing from 2 to 6 p.m. The band is Michael Pattavina on banjo and bass, Geoff Rogers on guitar and whistle, Rob Hayes on fiddle, and Al Macintyre on squeezebox. They will have guest musicians Rob Adams on guitar and Dennis Avery on dobro along for this special occasion. This will be the band’s fifth year doing this gig, and they encourage everyone to come and partake in some singing and tasty Element beer.

Floodwater Brewing Company in Shelburne Falls will welcome Doug Wilkins in for a good old fashioned Irish pub singalong. This will take place from 4 to 6 p.m.

Hitchcock Brewing Company in Bernardston will bring a touch of Ireland to town when they welcome a host of local musicians/ bands, including Helen Arbor, EOT, Falltown String Band, Pete Jasinski, Desmond Burke & Friends, Jay Letourneau with Emily Rose to spend the afternoon playing Irish music or music by Irish artists. They will also have a special corned beef meal available for purchase and special beers on tap. Bring the entire family. The brewing company opens at noon; music will play from 3:30 to 6 p.m. (Read on to learn about their Saturday night party.)

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If you are not so big on traditional music and prefer a straight-ahead rockin’ party, head to Berkshire East and enjoy a show with the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow. The band members — Tory Hanna, Billy Keane, Chris Merenda, Greg Daniel Smith, and David Tanklefsky — all have ties to the hilltowns, and Berkshire East is one of their favorite places to play. This will be a fun, rowdy show as it’s not only a St. Paddy’s Day party but also Treaty member Tory Hanna’s 40th birthday. If you can’t make it to this show, you’ll have a chance to see the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow when they return to the Shea Theater Arts Center in Turners Falls on Friday, April 12 — tickets on sale now at sheatheater.org.

If you want to start the party early, quite a few shows are happening on Saturday, March 16, St. Patrick’s Day Eve.

Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield always goes big for St. Patrick’s Day, and this year will be no different. They will host their annual party with the popular local band Jimmy Just Quit. This show will be extra special because the band is filming a live music video. The band asks that everyone wear green.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and music begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at hawksandreed.com and are $5 in advance, $10 the day of the show.

Hitchcock Brewing Company in Bernardston is also recruiting a popular cover band to provide the tunes at its St. Patrick’s Day Party on Saturday. AfterGlo will be playing all your favorite classic rock, pop, and country hits. The music begins at 7 p.m. Remember your dancing shoes. Also, bring your appetite. Rifts Food Truck will be on hand with a full menu of Irish favorites. There is no cover charge.

Up at Deja Brew Cafe and Pub in Wendell, The Shadow Twisters are hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party from 8 to 11 p.m. along with Maximum Irish Trad of the Great Craic Blackguards. JT McKenna leads the band. Come and be Irish for an evening!

Wooden Fender and the Trinitarian Congregational Church Ways and Means Committee of Warwick will present a concert/dance and a St. Patrick’s Day Dinner at the Warwick Town Hall, 12 Athol Road. Music will be provided by the Athol-based band Ray and the Lovers. The group, fronted by Ray Hendrix, plays a brand of funky neo-soul and R&B, guaranteed to keep the room on its feet and dancing.

The dinner is a traditional corned beef and cabbage meal with a vegetarian option. The meal will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and costs $15 for adults and $8 for children 12 and under; children age 3 and under eat for free. The music begins at 7 p.m., and there is a minimum $5 donation.

It won’t feel like St. Patrick’s Day without a show by Greenfield resident and native of Ireland Rosemary Caine. Unfortunately, Caine and her Wilde Irish Shenanigans have postponed their annual show, which was scheduled for Friday, March 15, at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield. The rescheduled show is Saturday, May 18. Tickets are on sale now for that date at HawksandReed.com

Caine will perform on St Patrick’s Day at Progression Brewery in Northampton at 1 p.m. This appearance is part of the Back Porch Festival, and you must purchase a Ramble Pass to attend. For more information, visit Backporchfest.com.

Suppose you are looking for some good old-fashioned rock music this weekend and could care less about leprechauns and shamrocks, head straight to the Shea Theater Arts Center on Saturday, March 16, at 8 p.m. and be prepared for some serious head bangin’ to the music of Molly Hatchet. You probably know the band from hits like ”Flirtin’ With Disaster,” “Whiskey Man,” and “Dreams I’ll Never See.” These songs came out years ago but have endured.

Molly Hatchet, who took their name from an alleged murderer known as Hatchet Molly, came out of Jacksonville, Florida, which is also the home of LynyrdSkynyrd and .38 Special. The band released a self-titled debut in 1977, a perfect mixture of blues-boogie, country, and British Invasion rock ‘n’ roll that would come to be called “southern rock.” The band scored its most significant success the following year with the release of the “Flirtin’ With Disaster” album. The band toured with Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones, Bob Seeger, and many others. More albums and tours followed, and the lineup changed over the years.

The original founding members are no longer alive, but the band and the music have lived on.

Molly Hatchet continues to tour around the world and make new music. The band’s current lineup consists of long-time members Bobby Ingram on lead guitar, John Galvin on keyboards, Tim Lindsey on bass guitar, Shawn Beamer on drums, and Parker Lee on vocals.

The band wants people to know that they are not just an oldies act; they constantly add new material. Late last year, they recorded in the famed Abbey Road Studio in London and will release a new album this year. They have already released the single “Firing Line” from the upcoming project.

So, if you like your music loud and hard, don’t miss your chance to see Molly Hatchet playing in Franklin County.

VIP seating, premium, and general admission tiered stadium seating tickets are available at Sheatheater.org. Doors open at 7 p.m and all ages are welcome.

Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at Soundslocal@yahoo.com.