Saint Patrick’s Day is only days away, and for the band Ragged Blue, that means a busy weekend ahead. They’ll be playing Celtic music at a variety of shows this weekend.

On Saturday, March 15, at 7:30 p.m., Ragged Blue will be the Wendell Full Moon Coffeehouse headliners. The next day, Sunday, March 16, at 10:30 a.m., they will provide the music for a Celtic Church Service at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Greenfield. Later that same day, they will play at a Saint Patrick’s Day party at the Brewery at Four Star Farms in Northfield with the music starting at 3 p.m.

Ragged Blue consists of Greenfield residents Terry Atkinson on guitar, Corki Demers on fiddle and mandolin, John Rough on banjo, and Joe Blumenthal of Northampton on bass. All four share vocals. This quartet is not a Celtic band per se. They are actually a bluegrass band that incorporates elements of swing, Celtic, country, and reimaginings of popular songs into their mix.

The band has been together for eight years, but the four members have a much longer history of making music together as well as working in various other bands. Atkinson, Rough and Blumenthal played in the bluegrass band Maple Ridge dating back to 1986 until the late ‘90s. Demers and Atkinson sang in the choir at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Greenfield almost 20 years ago. “It is really fun to have played and sung together for such a long time, as we know what the other guy is gonna do!” said Atkinson.

The groups plays a wide range of cover tunes including creative adaptions of songs like “The Letter” by the Box Tops. They also have some original material and are currently writing more.

“Other than our bluegrass take on whatever we feel like playing, we try to keep the traditions of playing into mics (as opposed to plugging in our instruments) and faithful renditions of bluegrass and Celtic,” Atkinson said.

When this time of year comes around, their sets are heavy on Celtic music, as noted by their full schedule this weekend.

“This is typical of the past three years,” Atkinson said. “It’s a lot of fun playing the Celtic music. I love bluegrass and have been playing bluegrass for at least 40 years. The Irish stuff is new to me, it must have taken me three years to learn how to play a jig rhythm on a guitar,” she added with a laugh.

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The band’s venture into Celtic music is largely due to members Corki Demers, a former member of the local Celtic band Shay’s Rebellion, and John Rough, who both had strong interests in the genre and spurred the band to add it to their repertoire.

It’s a move that worked for the band, as they can satisfy the demand for Celtic music at this time of year.

For those not familiar with the genre, Celtic music is a traditional folk music style that originated in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It’s known for its informal style, use of ornamentation, and distinctive scales. Celtic songs can be jigs and reels, which are upbeat and lively, or ballads and Irish laments, which are slower and more melancholy.

The three upcoming shows are in very different venues. The first, at the Wendell Full Moon Coffeehouse, is not exactly a Saint Patrick’s event, but the band will honor the occasion.

“It’s close to Saint Patrick’s Day, so there will be more jigs and Irish and Celtic stuff in this show too,” Atkinson said, adding she hasn’t played at the venue in over 10 years and is looking forward to returning. This show will benefit the Friends of the Wendell Free Library. An open mic will proceed Ragged Blue’s set.

Then, on Sunday morning, the band will play the Celtic church service at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Greenfield. “We play at St. Paul’s Lutheran each year, which is a regular church service where we play Celtic music and sing Irish-tinged hymns in place of our regular church music,” explained Atkinson. “People like it, and feel free to attend; it is a really friendly little church.”

This Saint Patrick’s Day party marks the Four Star Brewery’s third year hosting such a party. In addition to music by Ragged Blue, which will begin at 3 p.m., they will host a corned beef and cabbage dinner and have a special red ale on tap.

After all this Saint Patrick’s Day music, your next chance to catch the band will be at the Four Phantoms Brewery in Greenfield on Saturday, March 22, at 6 p.m. Ragged Blue also hope to get into the studio soon to record a long overdue album.

“We haven’t gotten into the studio yet because we are always busy, but there will be a recording,” Atkinson said of the band’s future, noting that Maple Ridge did an album for Signature Sounds in 1997.

In the meantime, get your best green outfit and head to one of these shows.

Doors to the Wendell Full Moon coffeehouse open at 7 p.m. Admission is by sliding scale $7 to $20 cash at the door.

Boys of the Landfill and friends are back for their annual Saint Patrick’s Day celebration at Element Brewery in Millers Falls on Sunday, March 16 from 2 to 6 p.m. Enjoy plenty of fiddle tunes and more.

Floodwater Brewing Company in Shelburne Falls is hosting two Saint Patrick’s Day shows. On Sunday, March 16, it’s Desmond Burke and Friends Saint Patrick’s Day bash from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., and then at 4 p.m., it’s a Saint Patrick’s Day sing-along with Doug Wilkins.

Last week, we told you about the Mud Season festival, which will take place at the Shea Theater in Turners Falls on Saturday, March 15. One of its goals is to provide an escape from cabin fever. Another event with a similar mission will also take place on Saturday: the annual All Coop’ed Up concert at the Discovery Center in Turners Falls at 7 p.m.

The Franklin County Musicians Cooperative, a nonprofit organization that promotes live music in Franklin County, is hosting the show. This event will showcase the talents of more than a few cooperative members. This show provides the opportunity for people to get out of the house and enjoy some live music while also giving a preview of the Coop’s regular summer concerts.

These free concerts take place every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Energy Park in Greenfield.

Some of the acts performing are Orlen, Gabriel & Avery, Small Change, Larry LeBlanc, Pat & Tex, Stephanie Marshall, Austin & Elliott, and more.

Admission is by suggested donation of $5 to $15.

Grammy-nominated singer, composer, and song collector Moira Smiley will bring her haunting brand of folk music to the Montague Common Hall on Saturday, March 15, with a concert at 6:30 p.m. and a singing workshop at 3 p.m.

Known for her rich voice and dynamic stage presence, Smiley will perform material off her recent album, “The Rhizome Project,” and will be accompanied by the Rhizome Quartet, a string quartet of world class musicians. She will also include some traditional folk music in her set.

Earlier in the day, she will host a singing workshop called “Singing the Rhizome.” According to Smiley, “participants will sing in celebration of ‘Sugar in the Ground,’ our unspoken shared resources and values that get us through difficult times.” There will also be warm-ups, musical games, learning new and old folk songs, and more. The workshop is open to all ages and singing abilities and will be followed by a community potluck at 5 p.m., before Smiley’s concert.

There is a suggested donation of $20 for the concert, $30 for the workshop, or $40 for both. However, no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Tickets are available at www.weathervane-arts.org.

Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at soundslocal@yahoo.com.