You’ll be buying a shirt like this at a new venue.
American Paddy’s Productions, producers of The Philadelphia Fleadh, announced on Friday, April 17, that the annual festival scheduled for May 2 will move from Pennypack Park in Northeast Philadelphia to The Cherokee Festival Grounds located at 1 Declaration Drive in Bensalem
The Cherokee Festival Grounds is a picturesque park with 15 acres nestled on the Neshaminy Creek surrounded by 30 beautiful acres of conserved land. The Cherokee Festival Grounds is home to The Cherokee Day Camp as well as some of Bucks County’s biggest festivals, including The Bucks County Food Truck Festival and The Giggles and Ghouls Fall Festival.
Promoter for American Paddy’s Productions, Frank Daly, said “The cost of keeping The Philly Fleadh in Philadelphia passed what we could afford with new regulations that were added this year concerning additional fencing, mandatory city workers, and added fees because alcohol is sold. In the 2 years we held the Philly Fleadh in Pennypack, we never had a single accident, arrest, or fight. We still aren’t sure why these additional fees and requirements were tacked on.”
CJ Mills, a Bensalem native, said “The Cherokee Festival Grounds was exactly what we were hoping for when thinking of an alternate location for The Philadelphia Fleadh. Moving to business friendly Bensalem allows us to attract not only our Philadelphia audience, but also makes it a closer ride for all of the people in Bucks County who might not have ventured into the city. The Cherokee family are people who see the value of a cultural festival and what they do year round is great for the community and families. We feel very grateful to be working with them.”
Bensalem Mayor Joe DiGirolomo is also very supportive of the event moving to his hometown, says Daly. DiGirolomo is no stranger to large events considering it was under his direction that The Bensalem Fall Festival and the Concert Series in the park at the TD Bank Amphitheater were started.
Other than the location, very little else will change for the May 2 event. The Philly Fleadh will still feature live music from The Mahones, Jamison Celtic Rock, The John Byrne Band, Seamus Kennedy, The Galway Guild, Birmingham Six, Broken Shilalaighs and more. There will also be a larger kids’ zone, 2 Ceilis, a traditional music session, an Irish dance feis, vendors with food, beer and apparel, and of course a great time for the Irish and those who want to pretend they are for the day.
Tickets for the Philadelphia Fleadh are $20 in advance, with group discounts over 10 people and kids 12 and under are free. To purchase tickets or get more information visit the Fleadh website.
