Thanks to a leap year calendar quirk, Irish enthusiasts were treated to a special Saturday version of St. Patrick’s Day—the first time since 2007 that the holiday lined up so favorably for hardcore celebrants (the next time it happens will be in 2018). Does Buffalo have the intestinal fortitude to handle two straight days of St. Patrick’s-fueled tomfoolery? Probably. Expect a sudden outbreak of Irish flu to ravage workplaces around Western New York on Monday, though.

St. Patrick’s Day Saturday highlights:

The gorgeous and unseasonably warm weather blessed the Old Neighborhood St. Patrick’s Day Parade in South Buffalo, a good-natured, beer-fueled tradition in the city’s Irish epicenter. Buffalo.com photographer Chuck Alaimo captured the color and the pride on display in the Old First Ward. Buffalo News Staff Reporter Karen Robinson has the writeup and reaction from the scene, and Buffalo News Photographer Harry Scull, Jr. had a few shots of his own. Snapshots, that is.

The Shamrock Shakedown shook the Dnipro Ukrainian Center (562 Genesee St., Buffalo) as a veritable who’s who of local DJs as well as some high-profile guests from the Motor City kept hundreds of partygoers reeling across the dance floor into the wee morning hours. Buffalo.com photographer Chuck Alaimo has exclusive party photos.

In case anyone was too busy with their cultural pursuits to notice last night, the Buffalo Sabres lost to the Florida Panthers, 3-2, in overtime. The Sabres remain two points out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Buffalo Bandits, however, knocked off the Minnesota Swarm, 13-10, and remain firmly in the playoff hunt.

On tap for Sunday:

The big deal today, of course, is the United Irish American Association’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo. The shenanigans begin at 2 p.m., but the streets (and bars) from Niagara Square to Allentown will be packed long before the first marchers pass.

Looking for other Irish-themed events? The Buffalo Irish Center (253 Abbot Road, Buffalo) will be at full throttle beginning at 3 p.m. with an afternoon packed full of music by Penny Whiskey and The Leftovers and traditional Irish dance with Rince na Tiarna and the O’Sullivan Dancers.

The Village Meeting House (5658 Main St., Williamsville) will offer a 4:30 p.m. screening of Waking Ned Devine.

Megan Callahan will perform at 6 p.m. at Pearl Street Grill and Brewery (76 Pearl St., Buffalo). The Dave North Trio will take over Shannon Pub (2250 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst) at 3 p.m. Joe Head and the omnipresent Rince na Tiarna dancers will be at The Irishman (5601 Main St., Williamsville). Every bar, club and college apartment in the city will have a party of it’s own—just poke inside.

Non-St. Patrick’s Day activities are also on the calendar. The Buffalo Home and Garden Show at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center (153 Franklin St., Buffalo) will offer appearances by Mark Brunetz of the Style Network and Jarod Miller of Animal Planet.

The Shrine Circus is at the Hamburg Fairgrounds (5600 McKinley Parkway, Hamburg).

Former Black Flag vocalist and successful solo artist, poet and cultural critic Henry Rollins is in town for a 7 p.m. spoken word performance at Town Ballroom (681 Main St., Buffalo). This is an ideal show for anyone who needs a good talking-to after a weekend of debauchery.

Photo from Buffalo.com / Don Nieman.