The Village of Barrington is bracing for a blast of blarney and a sea of green downtown this weekend. Doors open at the second annual Barrington Celtic Fest at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning. If you’re in the mood for some Irish music, corned beef and St. Patrick’s Day fun, then toss on your favorite four-leaf clover shirt and head over to McGonigal’s Pub in the heart of downtown Barrington for the festivities. The tent’s all set up, the forecast is unseasonably warm and you’ll be pleased to find that this 2-day, family-friendly fest offers far more than just food and spirits.
In addition to a tasty menu of traditional Irish foods, Celtic Fest will offer up great live music, performances and guest appearances. The fest is FREE, though a small donation will be requested to help support the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life coming up in Barrington this June. It’s a small price to pay for a great cause and a full lineup of live music on the schedule at the fest all weekend long.
Here’s what you can expect each day at this year’s Celtic Fest and McGonigal’s Pub…
Friday, March 16
McGonigal’s Pub Main Level
- 11 a.m. – DOORS OPEN
- 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Irish Music & NCAA Tournament on our HDTVs
- 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Seamus O’Kane (LIVE)
- 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. – Gerry Haughey (LIVE)
McGonigal’s Upper Level
- 11 a.m. – DOORS OPEN
- 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. – Irish Music and NCAA Tournament on our HDTVs
- 9 p.m. to Close – The Fluffers (LIVE)
Festival Tent
- 11 a.m. – DOORS OPEN
- 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Irish Music & vendors/merchants
- 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – McNulty Irish Dancers (LIVE)
- 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. – B96 FM Party Van, Irish Music & vendors/merchants
- 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Terry Spizzirri (LIVE)
- 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. – ‘Stache (LIVE)
*Vendors/Merchants at their booths all day*
Saturday, March 17
McGonigal’s Main Level
- 9 a.m. – DOORS OPEN
- 10 a.m. to – 1 p.m. – Seamus O’Kane (LIVE)
- 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. – Fast Eddie McAteer (Part I) (LIVE)
- 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. – Fast Eddie McAteer (Part II) (LIVE)
McGonigal’s Upper Level
- 10 a.m. – DOORS OPEN
- 10 a.m to 5 p.m. – Irish Music and NCAA Tournament on our HDTVs
- 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Terry Spizzirri
- 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. – Morgan Fingleton
Festival Tent
- 11 a.m. – DOORS OPEN
- 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Cirrus Falcon (LIVE)
- 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. – Grassroots presents STORMCROW (LIVE)
- 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. – Bono Bros Band (LIVE)
(featuring members of Freddy Jones Band, BoDeans, OAR)
*Vendors/Merchants at their booths, plus specials guests, bagpipers & other diversions throughout the day*
The forecast is calling for sunny skies and warm temperatures, but the Celtic Fest tent is large and equipped with heaters, if the weather changes. You’ll find the festival on the 200 block of Park Avenue, just east of South Cook Street. The address for McGonigal’s Pub is 105 S. Cook Street and there’s plenty of parking nearby. In addition to performances in the tent, there will be entertainment, food and plenty of beverages inside McGonigal’s Pub, the Park Avenue Restaurant and Wine Bar next door and at neighboring locations throughout the weekend. But please keep in mind that they’ll only admit patrons age 21 and over both nights, starting at 6 p.m.
So don’t miss out one one of Barrington’s biggest new traditions. The Celtic Fest kickoff is just a few hours away and we can’t wait to see you there!
About the Author
We’re excited to introduce you to local writer, Laura Pavin, who will be contributing stories at 365Barrington.com, starting this week. Laura is a quick-response news and feature writer with a keen eye for human interest happenings in Barrington. She’s totally on top of the local social networking scene and you can follow her Tweets by clicking HERE. One of our favorite things about Laura is that she’s a recent graduate of the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana. I*L*L – I*N*I ! To learn more about Laura’s background and the stories she writes for local news publications, visit her website at LauraPavin.Wordpress.com.
