The South Florida Irish Community invites everyone to join a traditional Celtic celebration at the 33rd annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival from high noon until 6 p.m., Saturday, Mar. 12, (the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day). The festival will take place at Fred B. Hartnett Ponce Circle Park 2800 Ponce de Leon Blvd. in Coral Gables (just five blocks south of Miracle Mile).
Entertainment will be provided by Avalon featuring popular Irish singer and harpist Tricianne Garrihy; Paddy Kelleghan Band; COD Band, and by the St. Andrew Bagpipe Band. In addition, Irish dancers from the Breffni Academy of Dance led by Michael O’Hara will provide plenty of fancy stepping and gravity-defying leaps. Lovely participants of the Miss Colleen Pageant will be showcased on stage.
Holding to the belief that “Everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day,” the St. Patrick’s Day Committee has combined family-oriented entertainment and a variety of palate-pleasing treats such as traditional corned beef and cabbage, and authentic Irish soda bread, as well as a wide array of spirits and other beverages including Irish whisky and Irish stout.
The festival also will feature many children’s activities, including the Leprechaun Corner, face painting, a giant slide, and the very popular rock-climbing wall. A wide variety of Irish crafts will be available for sale by high quality vendors.
This is the 12th year the festival has taken place in Coral Gables at Fred B. Hartnett Ponce Circle Park. The site of the festival is named for Hartnett, a former Coral Gables mayor and long-time member of the Emerald Society.
For the past 33 years, the St. Patrick’s Day Committee has organized a St. Patrick’s Day parade or festival. The event is produced by the St. Patrick’s Day Committee Inc. with the support of the City of Coral Gables, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Cultural Affairs Council, Mayor and the Miami- Dade Board of County Commissioners.
As always, admission to the festival is free and open to all. For more information, call 305-949-8400 or visit the South Florida Emerald Society website at www.emeraldsocietysfl.com.
