Spring is in the air. The sky is blue and the day is sunny. Everything is picture perfect for the first Brown Bag on the Square community lunch.

At this time each year, the City of Troy and the Pike County Chamber of Commerce host Brown Bag on the Square in conjunction with Irish Week activities at Troy University.

Thursday, from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., the green carpet will be rolled out on the square and everyone will be invited to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a picnic on the green.

“We like to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day because it’s a rite of spring and it’s such a colorful holiday,” said Shelia Jackson, Troy tourism and public relations director. “There’s no better way to spend your lunch hour than sharing lunch with friends and neighbors, listening to great music and having a chance to win some really great prizes.”

Entertainment for the Irish Brown Bag celebration will be the Barbershop Chorus and Brandon McClure, vocalist and pianist.

“Everyone is invited to either bring a picnic lunch or enjoy the free hotdogs that will be available,” Jackson said. “We’ll also have RC Colas and Moon Pies, so even if you don’t pack a picnic, you can still come and enjoy lunch and all the fun of a St. Patrick’s Day Brown Bag lunch.”

Merchants and individuals have donated door prizes and Jackson said there is a bushel basket of prizes so the “luck of the Irish” will be with many.

“The weather should be great so we encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the first Brown Bag of 2009 with us,” Jackson said. “We’ll have chairs available but a lot of people enjoy spreading a blanket. Either way, Brown Bag is a lot of fun.”

April and May are Brown Bag months and a couple of community lunch events are planned for each month.

“The purpose of the Brown Bag is to bring the community together for a time of entertainment and fellowship and to bring people to our downtown area,” Jackson said. “Downtown Troy is a beautiful shopping center with a variety of shops and services. It’s the center of our community and events like Brown Bag give us a chance to showcase it.”