BURLINGTON, Vt. -
While many people celebrate the luck of the Irish, St. Patrick's Day also means more customers for some businesses and potential problems for police.
The countdown to St. Patrick's Day was on at Ri Ra Irish Pub in Burlington Friday.
"This is the biggest day of the year for us," says Hannah Clarisse, Ri Ra's assistant manager.
Clarisse says they'll bring on extra staff to serve up Irish favorites including corned beef and beer.
"I would say we'll go through about 1,000 pints of Guinness," says Clarisse.
And in case people celebrate too much.
"We have to call in some extra guys for security but otherwise with the staff we have as long as no one is gone we can take care of it," says Clarisse.
The weekend is not just about food and drinks. Irish festival events in Burlington are also expected to help bring big crowds to Church Street.
While more people out celebrating the holiday is good news for businesses, it means more work for police.
"We anticipate a high call volume and we have added extra resources accordingly," says Deputy Chief Jennifer Morrison, Burlington Police Department.
Morrison says officers will watch for rowdy people and they'll make sure people are safe on the roads.
"Yes, we're very concerned about preventing drunk driving on holidays that typically have a higher incidence of drinking," says Morrison. "We always want events that draw people to our downtown area to be safe and fun for everybody."
For more information about the Burlington Irish Heritage Festival just CLICK HERE.
