Blackthorn whoops up the crowd at Penn’s Landing. Photo by Gwyneth MacArthur
The annual Penn’s Landing Irish Festival kicks off the month of June. What a nice start—with Blackthorn, the Hooligans, and Jamison on stage, kids’ activities in the kids’ tent, Irish dancers, Irish food and beer, vendors, and some nice weather. And it’s free!
A Mass will be celebrated before the festival at the Irish Memorial at Front and Chestnut Streets.
And it’s not the only Irish festival happening this coming week. AOH Notre Dame Div.1 is holding its Irish festival starting on Friday, June 6, at St. Michael’s PicnicGrove in Mont Clare. It’s not free, but it’s a bargain—only $15 for a three-day pass. Celtic Spirit, the Paul Moore Band, the McGillians, and Tom McHugh will be providing the music (for listening and dancing), and of course there will be food, drinks, and vendors. All proceeds from the three-day event go to support AOH charities, like the Hibernian Hunger Project, which helps provide food for the needy.
If your Irish is limited to “Slainte!” you may want to pick up a few more useful words, which you do at the full immersion Irish language event, Satharn na Gael, which is being held on Saturday, June 7, at the Philadelphia Irish Center. Lunch and dinner are included in the $45 fee. Go to the Daltai na Gaelige (students of the Irish language) website for more information and to register. There will be a session in the evening. http://www.daltai.com/events/732/
And no, I didn’t forget rugby. (I can hear all the grumbling from the scrum crowd out there.) The 2014 Collegiate Rugby Championships are being held at PPL Park in Chester on Saturday, May 31. Go out, cheer, but save some energy for this week’s Irish festivals.
Check our calendar for details on these events and others coming up.
