Shuttle Added to Manhattan Irish Fest

Let the shenanigans begin at
the 29th Annual Manhattan Irish Fest Friday and Saturday, especially
with the newly-added shuttle Saturday. The Irish American Society of
County Will (IASCW) is once again the official Fest host in conjunction
with the Village of Manhattan.

Here are the highlights:

• Live entertainment under main tent Friday night (5pm to 10 pm) and Saturday (noon to 10 pm)
• Irish music, Irish dancers, bagpipes
• Parade Saturday 4th at 11 a.m., led by runners in the Irish Fest 5K
• Kids area at St. Joe’s School, includes teen dance Friday night 6-9pm, and an all-ages fun fair Saturday
• Craft Fair Saturday 9 am to 3 pm at Manhattan Junior High with more than 50 vendors
• Irish Dancers under main tent 6 pm Friday or 1 pm Saturday
• Entrance buttons are $10 in advance or $15 at the gate
• More than $300k distributed back to the community via volunteers, raffle tickets & scholarships
• Shenanigans all over town in bars, restaurants, and businesses
• Top entertainers include Larkin & Moran Brothers, Reilly, Finbar McCarthy, Coyote Riot, Whiskey Mick, along with local favorites John Condron and Allison Flood’s new band, Crooked Tails
• Mike McHugh Scholarship winners are Nolan Adam and Molly Marquardt, both of Manhattan and Lincoln-Way West High School

New this year:

• Free shuttle Saturday from noon to 10 pm with a shuttle cop on board from CD Liquors (at north) to Roadhouse 52 (to south) with stops along the way
• Free parking at the shuttle stops
• Irish Brunch Buffet Saturday and Sunday at Roadhouse 52
• Tristar Cabinets, Hawk Auto and Lakeshore Beverage main sponsors
• Hotel Sponsor Country Inn & Suites Manteno $89/night

Shuttle stops include:

• CD Liquors / Betsy's / Par-a-Dice / Southside Vape
• Berkot's
• St. Joseph School Kids Area
• Downtown / Main Tent / Red Caboose
• Roadhouse 52
• Gallagher's Pub / Midtown Bar & Grille
• Manhattan Craft Fair

Kids Area:

St. Josephs School will be hosting a teen dance on Friday from 6PM to
9PM at the school gym. Music will be provided by DJ Don Gray,
concessions, and a photo booth. On Saturday they will be hosting an
all-ages fun fair from Noon – 4:00PM. A magic show will take place at
1:00 PM and various crafts, games and activities will be available for
children of all ages.

Craft Fair:
The Craft Fair will take place on Saturday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Manhattan Junior High School located on Smith Rd.

Parade & 5K Race:
The always-popular parade will begin at 11am on Saturday, March 4th beginning on North Street then proceeding to State Street. The parade isled by runners participating in the Irish Fest 5K. The Prairie State Roadrunners will start the parade again by hosting the Manhattan Irish
Fest 5-K race. This race continues to be recognized as a USATF timed course.

Entrance Buttons:

Entrance buttons are $10 in advance and $15 at the gate. Net proceeds go back into the community to organizations and clubs that provide volunteers. Each organization donates time to promote the Fest, help run the Fest, and sell raffle tickets. Your attendance helps to award scholarships, brightens military lives, create programs for area children and promote local businesses.

Volunteers:
TheManhattan Irish Fest Committee is strictly made up of volunteers from
the IASCW and local community members and groups. Fest committee members
volunteer their time and dedication to ensure that Manhattan Irish Fest succeeds.

Grand Marshall Tom Doyle:

The 2023 Manhattan Irish Fest Parade Grand Marshall is Tom Doyle. Thomas
"Tom" Doyle has lived in Manhattan for past twenty-seven years and was
the owner of State St Auto for the past 22 years.
Prior to retiring this year, Tom had worked in the automotive industry for a
total of fifty-five years as a mechanic, body shop manager and a custom
painter. Tom is an extremely active member of the Manhattan community.
He was Village of Manhattan Trustee for eight years. Tom is a member of
St. Joseph’s Catholic Church where he is active in the men's club and is
also continuing an 86-year-old family tradition of being an usher.
Many may recognize Tom as one of the Leprechauns involved each year with the Irish Fest Parade.

He started dressing the part to promote his business twenty-one years ago
and it eventually grew into an iconic part of the parade each year. After a couple of years on his own, Tom was asked by Jimmy Walsh to join the other leprechauns at the front of the parade and the rest is history.

Whether you're new to town or have been here for years, you can be sure that Tom will always greet you and make you feel welcome.

Michael J. McHugh Memorial King & Queen Scholarships
The Manhattan Irish Fest has awarded $35,000 in scholarships since 2004.

• This year’s King and Queen are Nolan Adam and Molly Marquardt, both of Manhattan and Lincoln-Way West High School
• Each receives $1000 to college of their choice
• Mike McHugh was founding member of IASCW, and founder of Manhattan Irish Fest

Molly Marquardt: Molly is a senior at Lincoln-Way West and the daughter of
Brent and Michelle Marquardt of Manhattan. She plans on attending The
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where she will major in Nursing and
to live out her childhood dream of playing softball in college.

Molly is extremely active in activities and with volunteering both at West
and in the local community. She volunteers in many different areas and
enjoys watching kids grow and learn. Molly has worked numerous baseball
and softball camps over the years and has assisted with the LWSRA
(Lincoln-Way Special Recreation Association). At West, Molly has
participated as a member of the Principal’s Cabinet, Warrior Way,
Welcome Crew and, as a Junior, was selected Captain by her softball
teammates.

Nolan Adam: Nolan is a senior at Lincoln-Way West and is the son of Glen and Tina Adam of Manhattan. He plans on majoring in Political Science on the Pre-Law track. His goal is to become a lawyer and do his best to fight for what he believes is right and try to fix
injustices in the law process.

Nolan is involved in numerous clubs at West including NHS, Student Council, Warrior Way, Scholastic Bowl and Principal's Cabinet. In addition, he has volunteered at Silver
Cross Hospital and the Rialto Square Theater.


About Mike McHugh:

In 2018 the Manhattan Irish Fest Committee official announced that the
King & Queen Scholarship will forever be named the “Michael J.
McHugh Memorial King & Queen Scholarship”. Mike was a lifelong
Manhattan area resident and business owner who dedicated himself to the
community. He was a founding member of the IASCW in 1981 and one of the
original founding organizers of the Manhattan Irish Fest. Mike gave back
to his community in many ways and loved to talk about his Irish
Heritage.