AUG. 14-17

Milwaukee Irish Fest showcases Galway

FOR FOUR days in August, Milwaukee’s lakefront is immersed in all things Irish as the 28th annual Milwaukee Irish Fest returns to the Henry W. Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds).

Milwaukee Irish Fest continues to be the premier Irish festival in the world, and promises to bring the best in authentic Irish culture and entertainment to the Midwest, Aug. 14-17. Through its ties to Ireland, the festival hosts one of the organization’s largest collaborative efforts to date in its partnership with Milwaukee’s sister city and Ireland’s cultural heart – Galway.

Irish Fest’s Galway Showcase infuses the entire grounds, from the music on the Celtic Roots and main stages to the exhibits in the Cultural Village.

Highlights of musicians participating in the Showcase and hailing from Galway include:

• Trad on the Prom – This group features the talents of Mairin Fahy, soloist with Riverdance and The Chieftains, and her brother Gerard Fahy, multi-instrumentalist and director of Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance.

• Furry Village – Gerard Fahy of Trad on the Prom leads this driving rock band in the live score of the Irish musical Tara, an ancient story told through acting, singing and dancing.

• Marc Roberts – One of Ireland's most talented singer/songwriters celebrates one of his musical influences at Irish Fest in his concert tribute to John Denver.

• The Saw Doctors – These musicians bring variety and refreshing unpredictability to their sound, as they continue to hold the record for Ireland's biggest selling single of all time, I Useta Lover.

• The Kane Sisters – These two sisters are regarded for their unique brand of unison fiddle playing. Their second album, Under the Diamond, has been praised as “a must for anyone with the slightest interest in fiddle music and is a prime candidate for traditional music’s top shelf,” by The Irish Examiner.

• The Maimin Cajun Band – The band’s English, swing, waltz and two-step influences flow through its set flawlessly with a diverse mix of honky-tonk classics and original material.

“The Galway Showcase is comprised of the best entertainment and cultural exhibits that Ireland’s west coast has to offer,” said Keith Finnegan, chief executive of Galway Bay FM, the largest independent radio station in Ireland. “Milwaukee is home away from home for us and in our 15th year of partnership with Irish Fest we’re proud to bring one of the largest showcases the festival has hosted to date.”

To further enhance the Celtic entertainment experience for festival-goers, Irish Fest also presents a Scottish Sampler with talented new artists. More than 20 play for the first time at the festival and many are making their U.S. debut.

Galway Cultural Village highlights include several exhibits: The History of the 14 Tribes of Galway, the wealthy merchant families that led the city to a golden age of prosperity and international recognition between the 13th and 16th centuries; Claddagh, a neighborhood in Galway that once thrived as a fishing village but is most famous for its Claddagh ring, an Irish wedding tradition symbolizing love, friendship and loyalty; and the Galway Arts Festival (1978 – 2007), photographic display that follows the evolution of this Irish arts event.

The Cultural Village also hosts a variety of exhibits that illustrate Irish and Celtic culture, including a new display on the history of the Ulster-Scots, and The Gaeltacht, which gives guests a chance to speak and listen to the Gaelic language. A series of miniature landscapes of historic and prehistoric Ireland, from Celtic Revival’s Joseph Keane, also will be on display.

The Literary Corner is a great way to learn what's new in Irish and Irish-American publications. Artist and writer Cindy Matyi features her new children’s book, Little Town of Spirals. At the Ward Irish Music Archives, an exhibit titled History of Irish Traditional Music explores the beginnings of the music of Ireland and Irish-America.

Other featured and returning areas of the Cultural Village include the Genealogy Pavilion, Village Pub, Dance Tent, Hurling, Tug-of-War, Currach races, Hedge School, Harp Stage, Waltons Shop and Theatre Tent, now in its 24th year. New this year is Belleek aficionado Tony Hearty’s Auld Beleek Roadshow. On Thursday night only, Hearty appraises antique Belleek pieces near the festival’s Main Gate. Throughout the weekend, visitors can purchase his collectibles in the Moore Street Marketplace.
Other new and returning programs of note include:

• The Family Passport to Irish Fest helps parents and children navigate the grounds with ease.

• College Day, a new program, enables students enrolled in colleges and universities to attend Irish Fest on Sunday, Aug. 17, and receive $2 off the daily ticket price. Those who present a valid college student ID at the Main gate from 3 – 9 p.m. will receive this one-day-only discount.

• Irish Fest’s new Jameson Lounge hosts a relaxing atmosphere and select marks of Jameson Irish Whiskey at the Paddy O west deck located on the south end of the grounds. Guests can experience an authentic Irish whiskey tasting led by an official Jameson Irish Whiskey Ambassador from Ireland. Tastings will be held at scheduled times throughout the weekend and by reservation.

Irish Fest hours are 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Aug 14; 4 p.m.-midnight Aug. 15; noon to midnight Aug. 16 and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Aug. 17. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for seniors (60+). Children 12 and under are free. For a complete schedule of entertainment and for additional information about features and special admission prices, visit irishfest.com.