Danu brings its Christmas show to Philly on Friday, December 2.
Finish Christmas shopping at 4 AM at Walmart. Check!
Grab a few elastic waistband pants for self. Check!
Eat rest of pie for breakfast. Check!
Go back to bed. Check!
It’s only 7 AM on Friday, but already you’ve put in a full day. Well, when you wake up, check out all these non-shopping Celtic things you can do over the coming week.
The Donegal Association of Philadelphia is having a ball on Saturday night. Right, they always have a ball, but this is a capital B Ball where they’ll also pick the 2012 Mary from Dungloe. The current Mary, Stephanie Lennon, will turn over her crown at the end of the dinner and dancing at The Irish Center.
A real treat: Timlin and Kane are appearing at The Shanachie. For more than 30 years, this duo has been drawing laughs and setting toes to tapping in the Philly area. The Shanachie is Timlin’s own pub in the heart of Ambler.
Also this weekend: The Mid-Atlantic Oireachtas will see the Downtown Marriott overrun with little girls wearing curly wigs and sparkly dresses who like to jig everywhere they go. (I’ve seen them jigging in the ladies room, though I guess that could be something else.) In any case, this is the big competition that draws Irish dancers from up and down the east coast to Philly every year and it’s always a great time.
On Monday night, you can bowl with the stars—all for a good cause. The first Annual Claddagh Fund Celebrity Rock ‘N Bowl Tournament will have you strolling down the lanes at North Bowl on Second Street (actually, on second thought, they frown on that) with the likes of Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys, Boston boxer Micky Ward, who was played by Mark Wahlberg in the biopic, “The Fighter”), actor Kevin Chapman who co-stars with Jim Cavizel in the hit TV series, “Person of Interest,” and some Philly stars, including Ian Laperriere, Jody Shelley, Matt Read, and Zac Rinaldo of the Flyers.
The event raises money for The Claddagh Fund which was started by Casey in his hometown of Boston where it supports charities including the Boys and Girls clubs, the Franciscan Hospital for Children, veterans organizations and programs for recovering substance abusers. The Fund recently expanded to Philadelphia where its first beneficiary is Stand Up for Kids, a nonprofit staffed by volunteers that helps homeless and street kids.
And before you know it, it’s December. On Friday, December 2, have your first real Christmas experience the Irish way. Danu, one of the hottest bands on the Celtic circuit, is bringing its Christmas show to Philadelphia. “An Nollaig in Eirinn” is at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts for one show.
Check our calendar for any last-minute entries or for more details on these events.
