• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, March 9, 2017

With a new forecast predicting record consumer spending this St. Patrick’s Day, brands hope to earn a little more green this year, from embroidered shamrocks to travel promotions. 

The National Retail Federation predicts that Irish-inspired shenanigans will spark $5.3 billion in sales this year, up from $4.4 billion last year. That’s the highest in the survey’s 13-year history. 

In all, it expects over 139 million people to celebrate, spending an average of $37.92, an increase from last year’s per-person spending of $35.37. Erin-go-bragh budgets are highest among younger consumers, with those in the 25-to-34 age bracket likely to spend to spend $46.55.

How people celebrate varies widely. The NRF research, based on some 7,600 adults and fielded by Prosper Insights & Analytics, says that 83% intend to wear green, 31% say they’ll make a special meal, and 27% say they’ll celebrate at a bar or restaurant, making it one of the most important days of the year for those establishments. 

Because St. Patrick's Day falls on a Friday this year, “it will likely mean bigger crowds at bars and restaurants,” a spokesperson for the National Restaurant Association tells Marketing Daily. And yes, she says, traditional offerings like Irish stew, corned beef and cabbage, and green beer are still a big draw, but the majority of consumers simply pick their favorite establishment to celebrate, regardless of what’s on the menu.

Guinness, Ireland’s signature beer, has made March all about the ’stache: For every upload of a selfie that shows a foamy upper lip and the #StacheForCharity hashtag, it’s making a $1 donation to community charities.

But from green donuts to “lucky”-themed promotion codes for e-commerce sites, brands look for any Irish connection they can find. Lands' End is offering St. Patrick's Day embroidery on totes and towels, with shamrocks and monograms, available in a hurry. 

Tribune Media’s Antenna TV is running a 17-hour Green Acres marathon. And Travelzoo and Tourism Ireland are partnering to broadcast the holiday live from Dublin via broadcast and digital channels, including streaming live on Facebook. It’s also airing segments on well-known Irish treasures, like the Wild Atlantic Way and the Ancient East.

Parades, which the NRF says appeal to just 15% of the country, and 21% of those in the Northeast, are another way brands embrace their Irish side. Controversy is brewing in Boston, where organizers of the parade unexpectedly booted OutVets, a gay veterans group, from the lineup. (They’ve been allowed to march for the last two years.)

Boston media outlets are reporting that Stop & Shop has already pulled its sponsorship as a result and that Budweiser—which was on tap to bring some of its Clydesdales to town—is also mulling its commitment. Top politicians, including Boston’s mayor and the governor of Massachusetts, also say they won’t take part if the group isn’t allowed to participate.