13th Annual Irish Fest at Historical Museum
Arlington Heights Park District Announces
The 13th Annual Irish Fest Schedule
Irish Fest is all Irish all day for the entire family with a huge line up of Irish entertainment, food, vendors and cultural programs. Fans of all things Irish can spend two days on the beautiful Arlington Heights Historical Museum grounds immersed in sounds, smells and tastes of Ireland. Blankets and lawn chairs are welcome. No pets please.
Winston's Market returns with their specialty corned beef and other items as food vendor for the 13th Annual Irish Fest. Bring your appetites for some great Irish fare.
Friday, July 27
Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
Admission is $5 adults, children under 15 free
6:00 p.m. Small Potatoes – Folk music duo of Jacquie Manning and Rich Prezioso play a diverse repertoire “Celtic to Cowboy.”
6:00-8:00 p.m. Merry Makers – Free face painting with Irish themes and balloon twisting
7:30 p.m. Trinity Irish Dancers – The school has won an unprecedented 32 World Championship titles for the United States, and is the largest Irish dance program in the world.
8:00 p.m. The Glengael – Bagpiping in the grand Celtic tradition
8:30 p.m. Lucky Lass Drawing – all ladies receive a free raffle ticket at admission for this drawing
8:30 p.m. The Kreellers – Five piece powerhouse of a band is unstoppable with high energy music steeped in traditional Irish sound, with a mix of rock, funk and even punk elements.
11:00 p.m. Fest closes for evening
Saturday, July 28
Gates open at 3:30 p.m.
Admission is $7 adults, $6 seniors and Historical Society members, $2 children ages 3-14.
4:00 p.m. McNulty Irish Dancers – One of the largest, most active dance schools in the Midwest
4:30-5:45 p.m. The Dooley Brothers - The Dooleys have been entertaining Chicagoland for over 30 years with their delightful banter and wide musical repertoire including Irish, swing, jazz and calypso.
4:00-8:00 p.m. Merry Makers – Free face painting with Irish themes and balloon twisting
Wee Folk Tent open with children's activities
Irish American Heritage Center display
Northern Illinois Chapter of Crochet Guild of America
5:45 p.m. Bagpipes and Drums of the Emerald Society - members of the band consist entirely of active and retired Law Enforcement Officers from the rank & file of Federal Agencies, State, Counties, City of Chicago, and numerous Suburban Police Departments.
6:15-7:30 p.m. The Gleasons - The Gleasons have been bringing their original music and stylized traditional material to audiences for nearly a decade. The Gleasons call Milwaukee home and are a staple of the regional pubs and Irish Fest (in Milwaukee)- the world's largest Irish music festival.
7:45 p.m. Best Legs in a Kilt Contest – Gentlemen, bring your own kilt or borrow one from us.
8:15 p.m. Irish Raffle – Buy your chance to win from a selection of prizes, including $500 grand prize. Tickets are $5 each or 6 for $25.
8:30 -10:30 p.m. Bella Cain – A newly formed, young, high-energy 6-Piece Top 40 Country Group that delivers a non-stop and explosive performance for every show! With a "Big" guitar sound, they also bring 5 part harmonies, fiddle, steel guitar, piano, banjo, a solid rhythm section and both male/female vocals to the stage delivering a full and dramatic sound unmatched regionally.
11:00 p.m. Fest Closes
Arlington Heights Historical Museum is located at the corner of Fremont and Vail streets, one block south of Euclid. Parking is available in the commuter parking lot across the street. Please do not park in the library lot.
For more information, go to ahmuseum.org or call 847-255-1225