Illustration by: Ann Ward
Irish Fest is to Milwaukee like the pot o’ gold is to the end of the rainbow. It’s an incredible journey well worth undertaking based on what you just might find when you get there: 17 stages with more than 100 entertainment acts billed as “the world’s largest celebration of Irish music and culture.” With this being the 39th annual Milwaukee Irish Fest, it’s clear that it’s taken a whole lot more than the luck o’ the Irish to keep the green going and flowing.
While we can expect the traditional fiddles and bodhrans (hand drums) of Gaelic Storm and the bagpipes and electric guitars from the Red Hot Chilli Pipers (that’s Pipers, not Peppers!), this year’s music line-up has something for every musical taste, be it Americana, Indie folk, Celtic rock or, in the Pipers’ case, “Bagrock.” (Note: The “men in kilts” know how to rock it! Check out their Queen and AC/DC covers.)
While Irish Fest has plenty of music and Irish food to choose from (this year features a Sunday high tea, which sold out quickly), 2019 honors Ireland, of course, and a very special group of people, according to Mike Mitchell, executive director of CelticMKE, which presents the festival. “We’re showcasing Galway, Ireland, to make people aware of their upcoming Galway 2020 celebration. They were selected as the “European Capitol of Culture” for 2020, and celebrations and exhibitions will be taking place all year,” says Mitchell. With Galway being the focus this year, the Music and Cultural Showcase will include a Galway Historic Maps exhibit from the Royal Irish Academy, as well as a Maps of Connemara exhibit from the National University of Ireland-Galway, says Cathy Ward, director of festival operations.
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For boaters and sailors of the “high seas” (that’s Lake Michigan for us Wisconsinites), Ward explains that there’s an area featuring currach boats (wooden frames with animal skins traditionally stretched over them), with an exhibit on The Galway Hooker sail boats and a 3D map of Galway Bay. “Last but not least, Callens Celtic Kitchen will be hosting Chef Martin O’Donnell from the Twelve Hotel in Galway,” Ward emphasizes, should you need a good Galway bite or two after all that walking.
And, of course, there’s also the music imported from Galway. There are five Galway acts that play the Lakefront-McGourthy Family Stage: The Kane Sisters, The Whileaways and Leo Moran & Padraig Stevens. Irish Fest has become renowned for booking major Irish and Celtic music over the years, from traditional bands such as The Chieftains and Tommy Makem to the more contemporary sounds of Black 47 and School of Fish, among many others.
“Milwaukee Irish Fest is known over in Ireland as ‘Milwaukee Fest,’” explains Melissa Ward, the festival’s entertainment committee and marketing director. As new acts and artists emerge in Ireland and other Celtic nations (as well as in Canada), they look to the U.S. for performance venues—specifically Milwaukee—and will arrange their tours around the festival.”
CelticMKE travels to festivals and conferences through Ireland, Scotland and Canada to scout talent, according to Melissa Ward, and for those Irish Fest devotees keeping track, The Red Hot Chilli Pipers played their first U.S. show at Irish Fest in our city in 2009. And We Banjo 3 is one of the latest in bands to attend that melds genres. “We Banjo 3 merges Celtic with bluegrass and dubs their music as ‘Celtgrass,’ Ward explains. As another example, Seo Linn infuses traditional Irish music with indie folk sounds.”
There’s plenty to choose from regardless of taste, music, food or otherwise. Irish Fest is also honoring first responders with a ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 17, on the Miller Stage “to recognize 10 families who lost loved ones in the last year while in the line of duty,” Mitchell says.
For Mitchell, there’s a very easy way to tell that Milwaukee Irish Fest is a success. “By the smiles on our patrons faces and the joy in the heart of our volunteers,” he says, adding, “In a divisive world, this presents a four-day period where people can set aside their worries and just have a good time while listening to great music.”
Milwaukee Irish Fest runs Aug. 15-18 at the Henry Maier Festival Park (the Summerfest Grounds). For more information, visit irishfest.com.
