Irish Celebrations
2023 Irish Celebration and Day of Dance Events
The Irish Arts Minnesota will return in-person for a 33rd year of partnership with Landmark Center. Mark your calendars for all things Irish over these two dates:
Friday, March 17, 2023 – St. Patrick’s Day Celebration: 10am-5pm
Sunday, March 19, 2023 – An Irish Day of Dance: 11am-5pm
Tickets can be purchased in advance from Irish Arts Minnesota webpage or at the door. $7-$9
St. Patrick’s Day Entertainment Schedule
March 17, 2023
MAIN STAGE:
10:00 ~ The Inland Seas
10:40 ~ Rince na Chroi
11:30 ~ Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band
11:45 ~ Locklin Road
12:35 ~ Mactír Academy of Irish Dance
1:20 ~ Eilís Academy of Irish Dance
2:10 ~ Corda Mór Irish Dance
3:00 ~ “Blending Irish and Brazilian Music”-
a Cross-Cultural Presentation from
David and Suzanne Rhees and Tim
O’Keefe
3:40 ~ The McNordiques
4:30 ~ Knocknagow Irish Dancers
F.K. WEYERHAEUSER AUDITORIUM:
10:00 ~ Onórach Mulhern Geraghty School
of Irish Dance (OMG)
10:45 ~ Center for Irish Music Ensemble
11:25 ~ Rince na Gréine Irish Dance
12:10 ~ The Hounds of Finn Duo
12:55 ~ Green Fire Irish Dancers
1:40 ~ Purgatory Creek
2:20 ~ Mooncoin Ceili Dancers
3:00 ~ Irish Diplomacy
3:45 ~ Hudson Irish Dance Academy
4:30 ~ O’Neill School of Irish Dance
TEA ROOM STAGE:
10:30 ~ Legacy
11:25 ~ Sona
12:20 ~ Dunquin
1:15 ~ Rúpálaí
2:10 ~ Dorain
3:05 ~ Bill Conlan and Kia Cashman
4:00 ~ Center for Irish Music Ensemble
CHILDRENS STAGE:
10:15 ~ Instrument Petting Zoo – a chance to try some Irish traditional instruments with Mattie Ernst and Iain Dove McAfee
10:55 ~ Songs and Stories for Little Ones with Alisa Mee from the Center for Irish Music
11:40 ~ Parent and Kid Ceili Dance Party with the Mooncoin Ceili Dancers
SEMINAR ROOM:
12:20 ~ “Celtic Poetry: Hope Springs Eternal” An Interactive Reading Experience featuring original, classic and contemporary pieces written by Celtic women. Performed by actor/writer Sarah Kiani and friends presented in a warm, collective, creative shared space.
1:00 ~ “Ship Happens: Irish Seafaring Songs” – background on the language and traditions of seafaring as reflected in the songs of the sea – presented by Legacy
2:00 ~ “The 99 44/100% (Sorta) True Tale of the Life of St. Patrick” – presented by Out of the Mist Celtic Theatre
3:00 ~ “Toasts and Roasts – presented by Gaeltacht Minnesota
An Irish Day of Dance Entertainment Schedule
March 19, 2023
MAIN STAGE:
11:00 ~ Rince na Chroi
11:50 ~ O’Shea Irish Dance
12:35 ~ Decade of Dance Awards Presentation
12:50 ~ Mactír Academy of Irish Dance
1:40 ~ Onórach Mulhern Geraghty School of Irish Dance (OMG)
2:25 ~ Decade of Dance Awards Presentation
2:40 ~ O’Neill School of Irish Dance
3:30 ~ Hudson Irish Dance Academy
4:20 ~ Rince na Greine Irish Dance
F. K. WEYERHAEUSER AUDITORIUM:
11:00 ~ “The 99 44/100% (Sorta) True Tale of the Life of St. Patrick” – presented by Out of the Mist Celtic Theatre
12:00 ~ Ardaigh Suas Academy of Irish Dance (ASA)
12:35 ~ Eilís Academy of Irish Dance
1:30 ~ Shamrock School of Irish Step Dance
2:25 ~ Rinceoirí Fásta Ag Fás Fós – Grown Dancers Growing Still – a showcase of adult dancers from Mactír Academy, O’Shea Irish Dance and Rince na Chroi
3:05 ~ Green Fire Irish Dancers
4:00 ~ North Star School of Irish Dance
TEA ROOM:
11:15 ~ Lake Effect
12:10 ~ Hannah Flowers, Harpist
1:05 ~ The Giggin’s Siles
2:00 ~ Center for Irish Music Ensemble
2:55 ~ Connemara Patch
3:50 ~ Center for Irish Music Ensemble
SEMINAR ROOM:
1:00 ~ “The Teenager Who Saved Irish music: the work of Edward Bunting” – presented by Chad McAnally – the story of the 17-year-old collector and musician Edward Bunting (1770-1840) saved centuries of Irish traditional music from oblivion – near single handedly.
2:00 ~ “The 50th Anniversary of Minnesota’s Children’s Program of Northern Ireland”– presented by Jane Kennedy – the story of the program designed to remove youngsters for part of the summer from the tense environment created by battling Protestants and Roman Catholics, to give the children an opportunity to see Protestants and Catholics living peacefully together in the Midwest.
3:00 ~ “Paddy’s Trip to Rio: Exploring Irish/Brazilian Musical Connections” – presented by Dave and Suzanne Rhees – the story of our exploration of Brazilian music from the point of view of Irish traditional musicians. Both Irish and Brazilian music have their roots in European music but are hybrids of many ethnic, racial, and national strands. We will compare and contrast the two and discuss how we blend them into our St. Patrick’s Day performance.