The John Byrne Band will be appearing at the World Cafe Live on Friday night.
It’s a surprisingly busy week for the one leading up to Thanksgiving. If you’re not too crazed making stuffing, cranberry relish, and pies, there’s lots of Irish craic going on. There are even some events where you can take your visiting relatives so you don’t actually have to talk to them.
But let’s start with Friday. The John Byrne Band is playing Friday night at the World Café Live where a new chef—Jim Coleman of Coleman’s in Blue Bell and WHYY’s Saturday morning radio show, “A Chef’s Table”—is taking over the restaurant which was already good. Starting off the evening will be Citizen’s Band Radio which shares some band members with Byrne. Very handy.
If you’re in Bethlehem, check out “The Lost Ones,” a play based on a short story by Irish playwright Samuel Beckett about an entire world enclosed in a small cylinder and the people who inhabit it. And no, it’s not that little world you saw in “Men in Black.” The play was originally performed at the Capitol Fringe Festival.
On Saturday, the McDade-Cara Dancers are holding their annual dance recital at Msgr. Bonner High School in Drexel Hill. It may seem weird to go to a dance recital when you don’t know any of the dancers, but McDade-Cara produces some world class Irish dancers so it’s great entertainment. And the little ones are so cute! We went last year and had a blast.
One of Northern Ireland’s greatest folk singers is coming to Chestnut Hill for a house concert on Saturday night. Gabriel McArdle was one of the musicians chosen to represent Ulster at the Smithsonian Folklife Celebration in Washington a few years ago. Check the calendar for contact info—the location’s a secret unless you pay for a ticket.
On Sunday, Irish Network-Philly will be raising the flags at the Irish Memorial on Penns Landing. Every few months, a different Irish organization in the area takes responsibility for raising both Old Glory and the Irish tri-color. The event starts at 12 pm and is followed by a reception at the Plough and the Stars which is nearby.
On Sunday night, the Philadelphia Athletic Association is holding its all-star banquet at the Irish Center. Lots to honor this year—two national champion ladies football clubs in Philly. Those girls rock.
The ever-popular Enter the Haggis, a Canadian band that makes its way to the Philly and Lehigh County areas several times a year, will be on stage at the Sellersville Theatre on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. Hey, you can buy pies—go see this high-energy group that mixes highland pipes and fiddles with contemporary instruments. They’re actually doing a second show on Thanksgiving night. Forget all the cooking and have your bird at the Washington House, next door to the theatre. (And no, the boys are not missing Thanksgiving at home. Canadians have their Thanksgiving celebration on the second Monday of October.)
The Mid-Atlantic Oireachtas step dances off on black Friday at the Downtown Marriott on Market Street in Philadelphia—hundreds of dancing boys and girls, men and women, all competing at this annual regional event. It goes through the weekend and is a sight to behold. Bring the family. You can get some shopping in at Macy’s, which is across the street and is decorated for Christmas, or at the Reading Terminal Market. You can take the kids for giant burgers at the Hard Rock Café. There, your afternoon is planned.
And don’t forget the Donegal Ball on Saturday, November 27. The new Mary from Dungloe will be selected that evening and music will be provided by—wait for it—Blackthorn! With Vince Gallagher! Admission to the ball is only $20 in advance, $25 at the door, though refreshments are extra. Bring your dancing shoes.
And as you’re making your lists and checking them twice, consider patronizing our local Irish gift shops and other establishments to support your own. Sure and everyone loves an Irish gift for Christmas. To find local outlets, check our Irish gift shop finder. New stores are added frequently so keep checking back. Buy Irish!
And a very Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Irish Philadelphia!
