With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Wednesday (March 17), you can enjoy two weekends of fun while decked out in green and shamrocks. Here are a few activities in the Denver area that will keep you, your friends and your family feeling lucky and enjoying this Irish holiday.

Parade is "Shamrockin"

Denver’s Annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is Saturday, March 13, at 10 a.m. It starts at 27th and Blake streets, travels down Blake to 17th, then 17th to Wynkoop, Wynkoop to 19th, 19th to Wewatta and around to Coors Field. The grand marshal is The Bridies, who bring together the lead fiddle soloists from Michael Flatley’s "Lord of the Dance" and "Celtic Tiger" shows, the lead accordionist from "Riverdance" and a guitarist from some of Ireland’s most popular bands. This year’s theme is "Shamrockin 2010" the parade will spotlight the significant contributions the Irish have made to music over the years. The parade includes floats, clowns, pipe bands, Irish step dancers, military honorees, equestrian and animal units (including Longhorn cattle), fraternal organizations, including El Jebel Shriners, and more. Attendance is estimated at 200,000 to 225,000 people. For more information, call the Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee at (303) 321-7888 or visit www.DenverStPatricksDayParade.org.

Get Active

 Runnin’ of the Green, a 7K run and walk, is Sunday, March 14 at 10:15 a.m. at 17th and Wazee streets. The 22nd Annual race will give funds to Volunteers of America to help the very young, the homebound elderly and victims of domestic violence. First, second and third place finishers in all age categories will win Oakley Radar sunglasses with green tint lens and custom micro etching. Cost for the event is $30 until March 13 and $40 on race day. For more information, go to www.active.com/running/denver-co/runnin-of-the-green-2010.

Learn to cook

 Celebrate with a menu guaranteed to put a twinkle in any Irish eye at the St. Paddy’s Day Workshop, Wednesday, March 10, 6:30–9:30 p.m., at The Seasoned Chef Cooking School in Denver. For $65, learn to make traditional comfort foods that are staples in any Irish household, such as Beer-Cheddar Soup, Irish Stew with Herbed Dumplings, Corned Beef and Cabbage, "Shepherd’s Pie" with Hearty Mustard Sauce, Colcannon, Irish Soda Bread and Apple-Oatmeal Crumble with Irish Cream Sauce. To register, call (303) 377-3222.

Head Up the Hill

En Fuego, a free street party in the Village of Copper, meets the luck of the Irish with O’Fuego on Saturday, March 13. Live music, Irish dancers, Marg O’Ritas from Margaritaville, and plenty of green beer is sponsored by Berentzen, Sprint and General Mills Nature Valley at this ski then party event at Copper Mountain. Enjoy a day of powder then head to the Bonfires and BMX Flatland Stunt Show at 4 p.m., followed by The Band "Canned Hagis" at West Lake at 5 p.m. and Fireworks at West Lake at 7 p.m.

— Compiled by Mariya Barmak and Tara Miller