Connecticut Irish Festival, Feis & Agricultural Fair Highlights The Best Of Celtic Culture

The Connecticut Irish Festival, Feis & Agricultural Fair will once again highlight the best in Celtic dance, music, sports and culture at the North Haven Fairgrounds this weekend. 

The Connecticut Irish Festival, Feis & Agricultural Fair is presented by the Irish American Community Center in East Haven.  The annual festival features a mix of the best traditional and contemporary Irish music; Highland & Irish games; a 5k road race; cultural, agricultural & children's' activities; Irish shopping and craft village; and a step dancing competition and demonstrations with hundreds of competitors in colorful costumes. 

The food booths are always popular at the Connecticut Irish Festival, and this year will be exciting culinary experience. The Emerald Bakery of Milford will be on hand with the finest of Irish baked goods.  But, in addition, there will also be an international flavor to the festival as Italian and Thai favorites will also be offered, along with the traditional Irish breakfast, corned beef, scones, soda bread and tea (as well as summer festival favorites: hot dogs, burgers, chicken, kettle corn, ice cream and Italian Ice.)             

On Saturday afternoon, June 24, there will be The Scottish Highland Games, which have turned into a spectator favorite since they were introduced at the festival four years ago.  Burley men in kilts, amateurs as well as professionals, will compete in a series of events designed to test strength, agility, athleticism and endurance. The competition is in Caber (Tree) Toss, Open Stone Toss, Braemar Stone Put and the Hammer Throw.

Irish step dancing can be seen both days of the festival.  On Saturday, there will be performances by the Lenihan, O'Keefe and Mulkerrin schools of Irish dance. On Sunday, hundreds of dancers will compete in a competition which has become a  training ground for Riverdance-caliber events. 

For the fourth year, the Irish American Community Center is presenting the Annual Connecticut Irish Festival 5K Road Race to benefit the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association.

The musical line-up, which will be presented continuously in two tents on both days, includes the legendary Irish rockers Black 47, Mac-Talla Mo'r, Liz McNicholl, Emerald with Paul McGilloway, Damien Connolly & Friends, Irish Piper Brian McNamara, Screaming Orphans, Pete Kelly Ceili Band, Gaelic Highland Pipe Band, Erin's Pride (Margaret Dalton), Music in the Glen, The Curlews, and Magnolia (Cajun Band & workshops). 

The festival will also include children's activities, including games & races, petting zoo, pony rides and agricultural activities such as sheep herding and sheep sheering.