Danbury Irish Festival to Open at New Location

DANBURY, CT — The 2019 Danbury Irish Festival will step off on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Sept. 20, 21 and 22, at its new location, 65 Sand Pit Road in Danbury.

Ridgefield dancers from Doherty Petri School of Irish Dance will perform at the indoor/outdoor event which takes place rain or shine. The festival features three local Irish dance schools, Irish vendors, cultural activities, children's entertainment, Irish food and refreshments and nonstop musical entertainment all weekend long.

The festival is presented by the Greater Danbury Irish Cultural Foundation, the Men's and Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Greater Danbury Irish Cultural Center, committee members, and volunteers.

This year's festival is dedicated to its founder, Gerry Curran, who passed away in July of 2019. Curran, the former President of the Danbury Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, co-founded the Irish Festival with the help of Sharon Higgins, Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians president, as a fundraiser to build the Greater Danbury Irish Cultural Center which is now located at 6 Lake Avenue in Danbury. The first Irish Festival was held at Rogers Park in Danbury in 1995, then moved to the Ives Center for many years, before finding its new home on the grounds of the Danbury Portuguese Cultural Center.

Live music will perform on the main stage inside and festival goers can peruse authentic, traditional Irish jewelry and apparel from close to a dozen vendors. The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians prepare baked goods in the hospitality tent, and there is Irish food and drinks available for purchase as well. There will be shopping opportunities in the Irish Village.

Outside, the cultural tent showcases a broad range of Irish heritage and gives festival-goers an up-close experience of Irish traditional music, Gaelic language, history, dance, genealogy, film, theater, and literature through live performances, displays, lectures, and workshops. All weekend long there will be displays on "Women of the Easter Rising," the Book of Kells, Irish crochet, Irish language and classes, Irish family histories, genealogy, Irish blessings, Irish literature, history of the potato famine, and Irish traditional music history.

Also outside under the Cultural Tent will be the Children's Tent which is open from 12-6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and includes a wide variety of entertainment and activities for children and their families. The Children's Tent headline entertainer is Danny Diamond who will do balloon twisting on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 3-4 p.m. and a magic show from 1 - 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 22. Miss Angie from PopRox Productions will be face painting Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. each day and there will be arts, crafts, games and more for children of all ages to enjoy.

Entertainment on the Main Stage:

Friday, Sept. 20, 2019:

• 6:30 p.m. GDIF All-stars
• 7:45 p.m. Mighty Ploughboys

Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019:

• 12:00 – Traveling Danburys
• 1:00 – Thorne Academy of Irish Dance
• 1:45 – Steve O'Tree and Friends
• 2:45 -Ashurst Academy of Irish Dance
• 3:30 – Highland Rovers
• 4:15 – Tipperary Knights
• 5:15 -Madz and the Ladz
• 6:15 -Morrighan's Flight
• 7:30 – Highland Rovers
• 8:45 – Tipperary Knights

Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019:

• 12:00 – Doherty Petri School of Irish Dance
• 12:45 – Uncle Bill Whiskey and Friends
• 1:45 – Celtic Cross Pipe and Drum
• 2:30 – SHILELAGH LAW
• 3:45 – Cunningham Brothers
• 5:00 – GDIF All-Stars

Cultural Tent Entertainment Schedule and Children's Tent:

Friday, Sept. 20, 2019

• Displays on: Celtic Art, Book of Kells, Irish Crochet, Irish Language and Classes, Irish Family Histories, Genealogy, Irish Blessings, Irish Dance, Irish Literature, Irish Traditional Music History, World Meeting of Families in Ireland, Classes, and more

Saturday, Sept. 21

• 12:00-1:00 PM: Music Games with Miss Wendy
• 1:00 - 6:00 PM: Face Painting with Miss Angie from PopRox Productions
• 1:00 – 2:00 PM: Uilleann Piper – Chris Finnegan, Irish Speaker
• 2:00 – 3:00 PM: Cultural Exhibit
• 3:00-4:00 PM: The Magic of Danny Diamond balloon twisting
• 4:15 – 5:15 PM: Tipperary Knights
• 5:15 - 6:00 PM: Cultural Entertainment

Sunday Outside - Cultural/Kid's Tent

• 1:00 - 2:00 PM: Children's Magic Show with The Magic of Danny Diamond
• 2:00 - 3:00 PM: Children's Sing-a-long & Games
• 3:00 - 5:00 PM: Harp Performance - Regina Delaney
• 5:00 - 6:00 PM: Andrew Carey Music

Children's Activities

• Bubble Zone
• Chalk Zone
• Face Painting
• Leprechaun Bean Bag Toss
• Carnival Games
• Make & Shake a Shamrock
• Thumbprint Rainbows
• Scavenger Hunt
• Kid's Crafts & and more

Sunday, Sept. 22

• 1:00 – 2:00 PM: Traditional Irish Music (guitar & flute, voice) – Chicks-n-Sync
• 2:00 – 3:00 PM: Traditional Irish Music (fiddle, tin whistle, flute) – GDICC musicians
• 3:00 – 3:30 PM: Traditional Irish Singalong – Fiddleuisce and John Feeney
• 3:30 – 4:30 PM: Harp Performance – Regina Delaney
• 4:30 – 5:30 PM: Traditional Irish Music (Irish lute, guitar, voice) – Aindriú Ó'Ciardha

Raffle Tickets:

• Tickets are $5 each
• First Prize is $2,000
• Second Prize is $1,000
• Third Prize $500
• Email Colleen O'Rourke at corourke2@aol.com for raffle tickets

More information is available online, or email DanburyIrish@gmail.com, call the club at 203-739-0010 or call Publicity Chair Wendy Mitchell at 203-501-7424.