Irish Fest features an area on the south end of the festival grounds dedicated to Irish and Celtic culture! Check out the various cultural programs and areas in this year's Cultural Village!
Cultural Pavilion
The Pavilion continues its long tradition of bringing all things Irish and Celtic to the festival through digital and physical displays. 2021 brings us Cork, Ireland poet Rosaleen Crowley’s poetry, Irish folklore, Blazing a Trail - an exhibit that tells the stories of women who led the women’s suffrage movement in Ireland, Out in Ireland, The End of the War of Independence - the 100th anniversary; and The Fairyforts of Ireland.
Literary Corner
Featured authors that focus on novels and stories, non-fiction and fiction, about Ireland and other Celtic nations.
Hedge School and Theatre
Combined due to Covid, these two iconic venues offer a series of lectures coupled with superb theatrical offerings. Among other productions the Theatre will be presenting…..
Ireland's Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Daniel Mulhall, joins us for a series of diverse lectures. The inimitable Leni Sloan joins us, this time in person, for two fascinating talks and Timothy McMahon returns to talk about the end of Ireland’s War of Independence and its aftermath.
Gaeltacht
Steeped in tradition, brimming with talent and sweetened with native speakers, the Gaeltacht line-up is sure to hit the spot. The Gaeltacht, or Irish speaking area, will showcase the Irish language and traditional Irish culture. You can learn simple Irish phrases or challenge yourself with some flirty chat-up lines! You can stop in any time and enjoy traditional Irish humor, song, dance and language. The Gaeltacht is where the Irish go to feel at home!
Genealogy
Come see Genealogy in its new location along the walkway to the Celtic Roots stage and Jameson’s Lounge. We welcome you to stop in for a quick peek or an in depth consultation about your Irish roots. Watch for an announcement as to who will be this year’s featured genealogist. Together with many local genealogists, we are ready to meet with you about your genealogy research whether you are just getting started or are stymied by a ‘brick wall’.
If you prefer to explore Irish records on your own, discover resources beyond what you have found on Ancestry.com. Last year’s very popular walkup kiosks will again feature the huge records database at FindMyPast, another site focused just on Donegal records, and John Grenham’s portal to a wealth of information about Irish names and places, Type in your surname to learn where that name is found in Ireland and more. Or enter your ancestral home to learn about that area and its records. If you are lucky enough to know both a name and a place, see the Irish paper trail that this ancestor left behind – anything from a dog license to a baptismal record!
Don’t miss our free door prize offerings! We are expecting again to offer subscriptions (JohnGrenham,com, Ancestry.com, and FindMyPast), research hours and Ancestry DNA tests. Our DNA area is expanding along with interest in this hot topic. The Irish immigrant portrait gallery returns, along with the children’s area where you can get your Paddy passport stamped. As you leave, be sure to stop at “What’s Next” to plan your next steps: scan a website link or take home information about the many resources and organizations, local and Irish, available to help you in your genealogical journey.