Burning Bridget Cleary
Happy Birthday, Philadelphia Folk Festival!
This grand old dame of music festivals turns 50 this weekend and will be celebrating, as usual, at the Old Poole Farm in rural Schwenksville. A fair smattering of Irish acts, including RUNA, Tempest, and Burning Bridget Cleary, will be on stage, doing workshops, or hanging out. Some of our talented Philadelphia Ceili Group friends will be showing off their folky side, including Courtney Malley with Full Frontal Folk.
Check the Folk Festival website for times and places. Enjoy!
This is a big weekend all around. St. Patrick’s Church in Norristown is holding its 18th annual Irish festival on Saturday with the Hooligans and Celtic Pride providing the musical accompaniment.
Also on Saturday, the Gloucester County Irish Society is sponsoring an “Adult Swim” at the Gloucester City Swim Club to raise money for the swim club. They’re also offering an intriguing drink called “Celtic lemonade.” Hmm, wonder what that is. And can we get some?
The Ren Faire is also in full swing this weekend so you can get all medieval on it at Mt. Hope Winery in Manheim, PA.
Irish music star Sean Wilson will be performing at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Newtown Square on Saturday night—and dancing is encouraged.
If you’re at the shore (everyone who isn’t at the folk festival can probably be found there), Jamison is on stage at Casey’s on Third in North Wildwood. While you’re down there, scout out a room for Irish Weekend—it’s coming up in September. Jamison hops over to Sea Isle on Sunday to play at Shenanigan’s.
Pray for good weather for Sunday. There two Our Lady of Knock masses where you can do such a thing—one at St. Patrick’s Church in Norristown at noon, and the other sponsored by the Philadelphia Mayo Association at the Irish Center in Mt. Airy at 2:30, both with food afterwards. But it’s also the day that the Philadelphia GAA championship games take place on Cardinal Dougherty Field. The winners earn a berth in the nationals which are in San Francisco this year. These folks will play in the rain and mud (Rain delay? We scoff at your rain delay!) but it’s so much better for the people with cameras on the sidelines if there’s no wetness.
For some reason, McGillins Olde Ale House in center city is launching an Oktoberfest Celebration this week. This Irish pub will be serving German beer and food from August 22 through October 1. Ach du lieber!
On Wednesday, there won’t be a dry eye in the house when the Irish Thunder Pipes and Drums plays outside the Washington Memorial Chapel in Valley Forge Park. The setting is magnificent—a Gothic revival chapel overlooking the rolling battlefields of the Park. Add pipe music and you can’t help but think of the sacrifices ordinary men made on that terrain, all in the cause of freedom. Get there early and bring a lawn chair.
On Thursday, join Irish Network-Philly at Tir Na Nog at 16th and Arch for an end of summer celebration that will raise money for the Inis Nua Theatre Company, which is taking its production of “Dublin By Lamplight” to the New York Irish Theatre Festival in September. The happy hour will also serve as a farewell to IN-Philly founding board member Mairead Conley (who is also the 2009 Rose of Tralee as well as in charge of programs at the Irish Immigration Center). Mairead is heading to school this fall to get her master’s degree in social work. (BTW, In-Philly has some amazing things planned for the future—more on that later!)
Also Thursday night, stop by the AOH Division 87 HQ on Wakeling Street in Philly for their happy hour—it raises money for the Hibernian Hunger Project, a national AOH program, started in Philadelphia, that provides meals to the needy.
As usual, all the details are on our calendar. Take a look.
