BUFFALO, N.Y. — You might call South Buffalo the local headquarters for St. Patrick's Day.

While this year's celebrations still won't be quite normal, businesses, as well as the Buffalo Irish Center, are getting ready to enjoy the day safely.

"Totally different St. Patrick's Day for us and everyone else in the area," said Patrick Laley, owner of The Blackthorn Restaurant & Pub.

Normally, South Buffalo is the place to be for St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Laley gets the restaurant ready for what would be one of their biggest days of the year. It's scaled-down, but at least this year they are open compared to last.  

"We'll do 10% of our normal business, but at least people can celebrate. We are going to do it safely, it's all table service. No standing at a bar or anything like that. But at least people can get some corned beef and have a pint," said Laley.

Across the neighborhood, Tara Gift Shop Owner Thomas Heneghan breaks out new inventory.

"They are framed greeting cards. We sell a lot of those," he said.

He says this is also the busiest time of year for him. This year, not so much, as the parade was canceled.

"Given the cancellation was so early, which I think was the right thing to do, we have been awful slow this year and you have to find different ways to get your name out there," said Heneghan.

With it being a little slower and with Heneghan not being able to import many items from Ireland right now, the store is not as full as it usually is in March.

"We haven't brought in as much inventory as we usually do. The store looks packed, but it's not," Heneghan said.

He expects the store to be OK. And for the Irish community, he says this holiday is more about family than anything else.

"For the Irish community, it's a religious holiday. It's more about family, so it's nice when things are normal to go to the Irish Center, have a corned beef dinner, have the Irish dancers and the bands, but otherwise, this year will be a quiet corned beef dinner and there is nothing wrong with that," Heneghan said.

Speaking of the Irish Center, Henegan's mother Mary runs the show over there. She says they'll be safely celebrating with a corned beef dinner, but she wants to remind people that the Irish Center is a non-profit and they're open past St. Patrick's Day.

"Everyone wants to be Irish in March, but we are Irish every day of the year. It's not a closed facility at all, it's open to the public every day, so the more people we have coming through, if they come to our library, subscribe to our bi-monthly newspaper, all of it helps generate interest and awareness of our culture," said Mary Heneghan.

One way you can check out what's happening at the Irish Center and learn how you can support them is by heading to BuffaloIrishCenter.com.

The Irish Center just celebrated 50 years in October. They plan to do a bigger celebration once restrictions relax. They'll be holding virtual events Wednesday night, such as live music beginning at 5 p.m.