July's Irish Fest is still all about the music
What started out as a one-day festival showcasing Irish culture, has turned into a highly anticipated two-day summer tradition in Arlington Heights.
Irish Fest returns for its 10th year this summer, July 24-25, for two days packed with Celtic music, food and dance, all on the scenic grounds of the Arlington Heights Historical Museum.
"We've grown a lot over the years," said Cathy Robertson, museum program coordinator for the Arlington Heights Park District. Attendance at Irish Fest has more than doubled, she said, but they also have grown to include more variations of Irish music.
"We started with the traditional step dancing, pipe bands and folk groups," Robertson said. "But then we saw how many people the Celtic rock bands drew, and we knew we had to have a mix."
Organizers also plan a wide variety of family activities. Children will find hands-on crafts in the Wee Tent, while adults will be able to explore their roots with professionals from the Irish American Heritage Center.
A series of vendors will offer Irish gifts, from musical CDs and knitware to jewelry and prints.
Contests, too, offer an interactive twist to the event. Men can compete in the "best legs in a kilt" contest, while women will see their entry tickets thrown into a "Lucky Lass" drawing for a dinner theater package.
Food and drink offerings will feel authentic, as Peggy Kinnane's Irish Restaurant & Pub returns with their beer and wine assortments, including Guinness, along with a menu featuring corn beef sandwiches.
However, music seems to be main draw, and the festival features plenty of it. Patrons will find more of the traditional bands and step dancers scheduled early in the program, and the harder rock bands closing out the main stage.
Take Friday night. Paddy Homan and his Irish Tradition band play favorite folk tunes starting at 6 p.m., before the Glengael Bagpipe Band performs at 7:15, leading up to the McNulty Irish Dancers at 7:30 p.m.
A new band to the festival, Napper Tandy, takes the stage at 8 p.m. as the headline act.
"It's Celtic rock," said lead singer Dave Arwine, pointing to their use of traditional bagpipes and electric pipes. "We play cover songs from bands like U-2, Saw Doctors, the Pogues and some British invasion."
Saturday's lineup opens at 4 p.m. with the Dooley Brothers, before the Pipes & Drums of the Emerald Society march in at 5 p.m., followed by the award-winning Trinity Irish Dancers at 5:30.
Donnybrook takes the stage from 6:30-8 p.m. playing their mix of toe-tapping jigs and reels, as well as familiar Irish tunes. Their musicianship stands out as much as their music, with players rotating on the tenor banjo, mandolin, flute, tin whistle, guitar, fiddle, bodhran, guitar, button accordion, and Highland pipes.
A festival favorite, Elevation, closes out the evening. The U-2 tribute band performs from 8:30-10:30 p.m., complete with their Bono look-alike, Daniel Burrow.
For more information, visit: www.ahmuseum.org/irishfest.
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=302500">Irish Fest schedule<span class="date"> [6/24/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>