by Ellin Walsh
Reporter
Cuyahoga Falls -- It's time to get your Irish up.
The 16th annual Riverfront Irish Festival will kick off the Falls River Square festival season June 12 for a weekend of Irish food, music and culture. The Irish are one of the largest established ethnic groups in the Summit County area, dating back to the construction of the Ohio & Erie Canal, reports Riverfront Irish Festival-Publicity Chair Rebecca Davey.
The festival, primarily sponsored by the St. Brendan Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, is free. Davey says, "The Ancient Order of Hibernians is an Irish Catholic organization that was organized in America in 1836 and is dedicated to preserving the history and integrity of the Irish people." The men's, or St. Brendan's, division has 98 members; 22 women belong to the female, or Annie Moore, division. There are 300 social members of the St. Brendan Hibernian Club, Davey reports.
Parking for the festival is free in city lots. Davey expects between 45,000 and 60,000 to attend the festival over its three-day run.
The festival will begin at 5 p.m. June 12 with Mayor Don L. Robart proclaiming "Irish Festival Weekend" in the city of Cuyahoga Falls. Festivities will last until midnight that day.
Festivities get a running start June 13 as 1-mile fun run runners take off from the starting line at 8 a.m. and 5K runners at 8:30 a.m. Registration begins at 7 a.m. at the amphitheater, where the races begin and end.
An awards ceremony will begin immediately following the races.
The festival opens on the square at noon June 13 and runs until midnight. Local favorite the O'Hare Irish Step Dance Troupe will perform at 1:15 and 5:15 p.m.
On June 14, the festival will begin with a Mass in the amphitheater at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Tom McCann, pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church.
Entertainment will be offered from noon to 7 p.m.
More than a dozen bands are scheduled to play at three stages located on the mall during the festival. The stages include the amphitheater on the south end of Falls River Square near Broad Boulevard, the lawn below Portage Trail and the north fountain near Front Street.
Bands include: Brigid's Cross; Rathkeltair; The Killdares; Callahan & O'Connor; Pat Flynn & Green Blossom Special; That Irish Band; The Shaffer Brothers; The Drowsy Lads; East Side Irish American Pipe Band; The New Barleycorn; Fergie & The Bog Dogs; The Hibernian Ceili Band; Case of Culler; and the Archbishop Hoban High School Bag Pipe Band.
Authentic Irish beers will be on tap; there also will be a large variety of non-alcoholic specialty frozen drinks. Irish merchandise vendors and commercial vendors will be available for purchase.
A portion of festival proceeds go to the Riverfront Irish Festival Charities , which include St. Joseph's Church; Cuyahoga Falls Good Neighbors; the Boy Scouts of America; Haven of Rest; St. Bernard's Hunger program; the Super Kids Classic; the Daniel Crabtree Memorial Fund; the Irish Cultural Society Monument and the USO of Northeastern Ohio, plus others.
For more information, visit http://www.myspace.com/riverfrontirishfest or www.riverfrontirishfest.com and http://twitter.com/riverfrontirish
E-mail: ewalsh@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-686-3908