Zzzzzzzz

I was thinking, as I put off dragging myself out of bed this morning, about how good sleep is. That might seem like a simple concept, but I'm a simple man. I get tired, I like to sleep. I put great value on a good bed. Which is why, even though Irish Fest takes place scant 3 miles from my Brookside home, I stay in one of our anchor hotels for the weekend.

It will come as no surprise that most of us who work to bring about Irish Fest each year keep crazy hours that weekend. We're up at 6:00, on site by 7:00, and on our feet all day. Friday nights we have a post-closing board meeting that often lasts until 2:00, where we dissect the first day, what went wrong, what went right, so we can make corrections for the remainder of the weekend. Saturday nights often run just as late and Sunday mornings come early with prep for the Mass, and in past years, the run. After 16, 17, 18 hours on my feet the last thing I want to have to do is walk to my car and drive home, only to turn around and do it all again the next morning. Instead, I walk a short half block, ride up an elevator and sink into a comfortable bed that somebody else made for me. I take a hot shower for which somebody else provides an endless supply of clean towels. And in the morning, that extra precious few minutes that aren't spent driving in and parking are spent sleeping and re energizing for the long day ahead.

Now you, Festival-goer, may not be covering the same kind mileage on foot that I do Festival weekend. You may not be arriving at Crown Center at 7:00 AM to get things ready for a party of 70,000 arriving at 11:00. But you'll still have a long weekend ahead of you. You'll still need your rest to enjoy every minute of Irish Fest. You'll still want to be where the action is after the gates close. And that place is at Irish Fest, at the Westin and The Hyatt hotels. Why go home? Make it an Irish Fest weekend, all weekend.

Both hotels are booking now with special discounted KCIF rates, and both will fill up. It happens earlier every year. Your room comes with tickets to Irish Fest, too. And remember, the Hyatt has the after-hours Fest Club traditional music sessions if you just can't get enough during Fest hours. Book your hotel now, for the whole weekend.

Just try to keep it down, will ya? Some of us are trying to sleep.