Thinking about heading up to Bethlehem for the annual Celtic Classic this weekend? Want a lift? The University of Pennsylvania Irish Club is offering a ride on Saturday morning, September 27, from 37th and Spruce on the Penn campus. The rented school bus leaves at 10, so get there around 9:45 AM. Anticipated return time is 6 PM. Cost is only $15.
It’s worth it. The beautiful city of Bethlehem hosts this convention of Celts of every stripe each fall, with a plethora of pipe bands, sheep dogs, Gaelic athletes, food, and traditional and rock music to keep you entertained for days.
If that doesn’t float your boat, there are plenty of other things that will. Villanova University has started a three-week run of Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey into Night,” about the dissolution of an Irish-American family and you can see starting this weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Bucks County Visitors Center is hosting its second annual Ancestry Fair where you can learn about everything from searching your family history, old photo restoration, and scrapbooking. And it’s free.
On Saturday night, the band that the Fleadh built is coming to the Irish Center in Mount Airy. Beoga (the name is Irish for lively) is a five-piece band from County Antrim that met at a session at the All-Ireland Fleadh (music competition) in August 2002. In 2005, Beoga was nominated by Irish Music Magazine for the best traditional newcomers’ award. This promises to be one exciting evening of music. Prepare to clap and tap.
Also on Saturday, local Irish-American filmmaker Shawn Swords debuts his documentary on the Philadelphia music scene of the ‘50s, revolving around American Bandstand and the payola scandal, at the Wildwood By the Sea Film Fest. See our story for details.
On Sunday, you can go a little British with Rachel Unthank & The Winterset with Devon Sproule at the World Café Live. This wonderful all-girl group “with Geordie accents,” had their album, The Bairns, described thus in The Observer: “a bewitching, dream-like, down-to-earth masterpiece.” We’re sold. We’d go just for the Geordie accents.
Physicist-turned-poet (or is it the other way around?) Iggy McGovern will be reading his work at Villanova on Monday, September 30, at the St. Augustine Center at 4:30. Mcgovern is associate professor of physics at Trinity College in Dublin. His poetry relies on both humor and rhyme and he was, among other honors, the winner of the 2004 RTE Rattlebag Poetry Slam.
On Wednesday October 1, starting at 7:30 PM, you can see and hear Kevin Burke and Cal Scott (the stunning blend of Sligo fiddle and guitar) at the Moorestown Community Center in Moorestown, NJ. Burke is a graduate of the much acclaimed Bothy Band and Scott is a multiple-threat instrumentalist, composer, and arranger. They’ve played this area many times and to packed houses.
And we would be remiss if we didn’t mention Octoberfest at McGillins that starts this week. Yes, lots of German brews and food at the oldest Irish pub in the city, on Drury Street. You might find yourself rubbing shoulders with lots of tourists who read Gourmet Magazine’s list of 14 Coolest Bars in the US. Gourmet editors called McGillins one of their favorites, noting it “has plenty of old-time character.” It should. It was founded in 1860 and its current owners have operated it for the last 50 years. Congrats to our friends at McGillins, who have been generous with their recipes, sharing them with us for the last nearly four years.
Our calendar, which has been busy trying to figure out how it can qualify for government bailout money, has all the inside information on these events and more. Check it out.
