|
|
|
St. Patrick’s Day came early — or at least it looked like it did Sunday afternoon — at the annual Halfway to the Great American Irish Festival Hooley at Hart’s Hill Inn, Whitesboro.
In a whirlwind of Irish tradition, from music to dancing, food to Guinness, attendees celebrated the halfway mark to the annual festival as well as the appointing of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal. This year, the honor went to Pat Costello, 59, of Whitesboro.
“I’m honored beyond words,” Costello said. An Irish-American himself, Costello has participated in the Utica parade every year for the past 33 years, but never as the grand marshal.
“It’s always a day where family gets together,” he said. Costello said he looks forward to leading the parade, and is honored to follow in the footsteps of the esteemed marshals before him.
“I was surprised and honored when they told me I was chosen to be the grand marshal,” he said. “I have a line of grandparents and parents looking down on me proudly.”
Costello was chosen for his contributions to the local Irish community, including working for Project Children for the past 20 years and being a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
“Project Children is unique in that it teaches Catholic and Protestant kids that they can get along, that the past has to be put in the past,” he said. “We try to show them that just because their fathers shot at each other doesn’t mean they have to.”
Judy Weeks, parade director and assistant director of the festival, expressed her excitement for the upcoming events. “We ask everyone to come out and support the parade,” she said.
The festival will be held July 27 to July 29 at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds in Frankfort.
Headlining will be the High Kings, Ireland’s folk band of the year and winners of Irish Music Award’s Top Traditional Performance Show, who were a hit last year, said Entertainment Chairman Mark Sisti.
“When last year’s festival was done, we heard the same thing from everyone who saw them: ‘You have to bring the High Kings back,” he said. “I’ve never seen a reaction like this band got last year.”
As always, the festival also will include other Irish and Celtic performers ranging from the delicate to the raucous, including Solas, Enter The Haggis, The Elders, Seven Nations, Barleyjuice, Searson, Rathkeltair, Hair Of The Dog, The Blarney Rebel Band, Rattlin’ Bog, Vince Colgan and Pat Kane.
In addition to the music, merchandise vendors from across the U.S. and Ireland will sell Irish and Celtic merchandise, and a variety of food booths will provide a taste of the Emerald Isle.
For more information or tickets, as well as float applications for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 17, visit the festival website at www.gaif.us.
Contributing: Staff Reports
St. Patrick’s Day came early — or at least it looked like it did Sunday afternoon — at the annual Halfway to the Great American Irish Festival Hooley at Hart’s Hill Inn, Whitesboro.
In a whirlwind of Irish tradition, from music to dancing, food to Guinness, attendees celebrated the halfway mark to the annual festival as well as the appointing of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal. This year, the honor went to Pat Costello, 59, of Whitesboro.
“I’m honored beyond words,” Costello said. An Irish-American himself, Costello has participated in the Utica parade every year for the past 33 years, but never as the grand marshal.
“It’s always a day where family gets together,” he said. Costello said he looks forward to leading the parade, and is honored to follow in the footsteps of the esteemed marshals before him.
“I was surprised and honored when they told me I was chosen to be the grand marshal,” he said. “I have a line of grandparents and parents looking down on me proudly.”
Costello was chosen for his contributions to the local Irish community, including working for Project Children for the past 20 years and being a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
“Project Children is unique in that it teaches Catholic and Protestant kids that they can get along, that the past has to be put in the past,” he said. “We try to show them that just because their fathers shot at each other doesn’t mean they have to.”
Judy Weeks, parade director and assistant director of the festival, expressed her excitement for the upcoming events. “We ask everyone to come out and support the parade,” she said.
The festival will be held July 27 to July 29 at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds in Frankfort.
Headlining will be the High Kings, Ireland’s folk band of the year and winners of Irish Music Award’s Top Traditional Performance Show, who were a hit last year, said Entertainment Chairman Mark Sisti.
“When last year’s festival was done, we heard the same thing from everyone who saw them: ‘You have to bring the High Kings back,” he said. “I’ve never seen a reaction like this band got last year.”
As always, the festival also will include other Irish and Celtic performers ranging from the delicate to the raucous, including Solas, Enter The Haggis, The Elders, Seven Nations, Barleyjuice, Searson, Rathkeltair, Hair Of The Dog, The Blarney Rebel Band, Rattlin’ Bog, Vince Colgan and Pat Kane.
In addition to the music, merchandise vendors from across the U.S. and Ireland will sell Irish and Celtic merchandise, and a variety of food booths will provide a taste of the Emerald Isle.
For more information or tickets, as well as float applications for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 17, visit the festival website at www.gaif.us.
Contributing: Staff Reports
