Greater Danbury Irish Festival Returns September 11-13

DANBURY — The John A. Gildea Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Mary McWhorter Division of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians will present the Fifteenth Annual Greater Danbury Irish Festival September 11-13 at The Charles Ives Center for the Performing Arts.

The festival provides a family experience of Irish culture including live entertainment, food and drink, imported Irish goods, dancing, and cultural exhibits and activities.

The main stage entertainment on Friday night will includes Muddy Paws, Cally McGrane and The Exiles, Irish Idol, and Danbury’s own Mighty Ploughboys.

Exhibits will open in the cultural tent on Friday night and will feature traditional Irish music with The Shamrogues starting at 6 pm. For those who have always wanted to try traditional Irish folk dancing there will be Céilí dancing with the Danbury Dancers starting at 7, and the evening will conclude with soul soothing Irish flute music by Bill Devlin & Friends at 8 pm. Gates will open at 5 and festivities conclude at 10:30 pm.

Saturday’s main stage performers will include The Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums, Sean Fleming Band, Andy Cooney & Band, Dermot Henry, Gray School of Irish Dance, Tipperary Knights, The Highland Rovers, and The Green Gates Céilí Band in the cultural tent.

Other cultural tent activities on Saturday include Uillean Piper Jerry O’Sullivan, Harper Regina DeLaney, Storyteller (seanchaí) Mike Diggins, traditional music with Celtic Note & Friends, Irish bingo in the exhibit area, Owen McDonnel on pipes, more music by The Mighty Ploughboys, and an evening Ceili with the Green Gates Ceili Band, running 6 to 10 pm.

The new expanded children’s area will be open all day with games, crafts and other activities for the wee ones. Hours of operation on Saturday are 11 am to 10:30 pm.

Sunday’s closing day main stage activities will include Dermot Henry, Emigrant Eyes, Gray School of Irish Dance, Police Pipes & Drums of Waterbury, Kitty Kelly & Band, Irish Idol Finale, and the AOH Raffle. The cultural tent will feature Uillean Piper Matt Connelly, Regina Delany will perform on the harp and provide a harp workshop for those interested in learning the harp (harps will be available), storyteller (seanchaí) Mike Diggins, “Irish Surnames: What’s in an Irish Name” by Eileen Zurell, a talk on Wexford-born Commodore John Barry by Phil Gallagher, and Irish Jeopardy with Ellen Stockbridge & Stephanie Wanzer.

The children’s area will be open 11 am to 7 pm.

A Seisiún tent, open to all Irish traditional musicians and festival goers, will be open all day Saturday and Sunday.

Displays will include Book of Kells, Irish crocheting, Irish language and names information, St Patrick’s Day Parade, Danbury Dancers (céilí), Dance Costumes & History, Irish Blessings, Thomas Moore, literary displays on Frank McCourt and Sydney Owen; spinning wool with Laurie Samford on the wheel, Ark of Kilbaha, Mary Garden, Famine Sculpture, Italians in Ireland, Irish War of Independence and much any more.

Irish imports will be available in the vendor tent all weekend, as will traditional Irish food and drink.

Admission is $12 per day, or a three day pass may be obtained for $20; children under 12 are free with an adult. Special Friday evening admission, “Five Dollars at Five” — enter for only $5.

The Ives Center is on the westside campus of Western Connecticut State University, off Mill Plain Road.

For directions and detailed schedule information, visit DanburyIrishFestival.com.