Milwaukee
- Party Under Way
It is that time of the year again when Wisconsin becomes the center
of the Celtic world. This weekend Milwaukee will host its annual celebration
of all things Irish. Over the years this festival has become one of the
biggest and most popular in all of America and attracts many thousands
of visitors over the four days. Of course this is just the centerpiece
for many Irish events and attractions in the Milwaukee area all year
round. These include The Irish Fest Summer School which has just finished
up for this year, The Irish Fest Foundation which a charitable arm of
the organization and works to offer grants to many worthwhile community
causes. There is also the John J Ward Irish Music Archives housing one
of the biggest collections of Irish music memorabilia in all of America
.
Of course when August comes around all roads lead to
this huge festival though and this year as always there is something
for every taste. Of course the music is just one part of it. There is
dance, sports, children's activities and so much more. It is all run
with family in mind and they go to great lengths to make this a very
welcoming and friendly festival.
Over the years the entertainment side of the festival has grown to include
some of the biggest names in Irish music and this year it seem they have
outdone themselves again.
Some of the names in this year's lineup include the
brilliant Eileen Ivers, the equally exciting Natalie MacMaster, Luke
Bloom, Teada, Joe Burke and Pipeline who were featured on last week's
JigTime. Also appearing are my old friend and touring partner Daithi
Sproule who is doing 4 nights with James Kelly, then flying to Dublin
to record the new Altan album, only to turn right back around and come
back here on tour with Altan for most of September. To add to this there
are sets by The Makem Family, Tommy Fleming, Different Drums of Ireland,
Seven Nations and Colorado 's Celtic Rockers The Prodigals.
There are so many big names and many very talented people to see who
may be new to you. So wander around the festival and enjoy the sites
and sounds and smells of a little bit of Ireland on the shores of Lake
Michigan . To get a full menu of events and attractions as well as ticket
details and times visit the official site at
http://www.irishfest.com
And when you get there, tell them JigTime sent you! |