Running In Social Circles

Tomorrow night the Irish Fest board of directors will get all swanked up and head to the annual Irish Museum and Cultural Center for their annual gala. Jim Ferrell will be honored at that event with this year’s John J. Sullivan Jr. Foundation humanitarian award. The Elders and the O'Riada Dancers will perform and there'll be a silent auction, including something listed as "St. Patrick's Day Parade Float Experience" which I will bidding on like a madman if it means, as I think it does, that you get to float along the parade route perched on top of one of those giant helium balloons or perhaps actually floating around inside that bad boy. I'm all over that action.

This gala is a very nice affair, though to be honest with you, I always feel a little silly at these kinds of things. I mean, there's all these captains of industry and heads of state and dignitaries and whatnot in tuxedos and ball gowns and tiaras and then there's, oh yeah, that's that cartoon guy Regan over there by the bar in the ill fitting suit...and the tiara. Luckily the rest of the board clean up a lot better than I do. This gala is the Cultural Center's big event of the year and helps them raise money for the year long calendar of events, workshops, classes and concerts they put on down there in Union Station. For example:

Sunday, March 8: Singer Tommy Meehan
2 pm - 4 pm, free. Irish folk singer Tommy Meehan offers traditional songs for all ages to enjoy, sing and dance along with! Bring Grandpa and Grandma, bring the kids!

Saturday, March 14: Celtic Arts and Crafts
10 am - 4 pm, $2 adults, free 18 and younger. Sharing older Irish history, Society for Creative Anachronism friends bring weaving, chain mail, storytelling, harp, games and more to life to share with all.

Sunday, March 15: Traditional Irish Musicians Jam Session
1 pm - 4 pm, free. Musicians welcome. Come sit and play or just listen and enjoy.

Tuesday, March 17: Irish Center St. Patrick's Day Family Fair
10 am - 4 pm, Free entrance, $1 tickets for some activities. What do you do with the whole family on St. Pat's? Bring them to the Irish Center before or after the Parade! There will be family-friendly games, crafts, music, contests and refreshments all day! While everyone's having fun, we'll also learn something about our Irish heritage! Activity schedule will be posted soon.

Tuesday, March 31: Irish Book Club - How the Irish Saved Civilization, Thomas Cahill
6:30 pm, Free. The Book Club meets at the Center last Tuesday of every month. Get your own book to read. Attendees may come and go each month as interested. April 28 – The Guns of Easter or A Star Called Henry; May – The Gathering, Anne Enright

Saturday, April 11: Gaelic Athletic Club youth league invitational meeting

Friday, April 19: Whiskey Tasting, sponsored by Jameson

Saturday, May 9: Irish Play in a Day Workshop
10 am - 4 pm, Free for participants. Youth theater workshop of Irish Folk Tales by Theater of the Imagination.

Plus there are ongoing Irish language classes, music classes and all kinds of other great stuff. Check it all out at www.irishmuseum.org.