One of Chicago Gaelic Park’s annual festivals has returned but the previous Memorial Day weekend tradition is now in August.
Irish Fest 2023 from Aug. 25 to 27 in Oak Forest takes place both indoors and outdoors on the venue’s 55-acre campus with three stages featuring music and Irish dancing, a Performing Arts Stage, a Children’s Tent, and a merchandise and food area.
“We hit the reset button,” said John Devitt, festival chairman of Irish Fest.
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“We’ve been getting input for years because we weren’t so lucky with weather Memorial Day weekend. Maybe we should change dates. For business reasons, a lot of times you had to have a couple of years’ notice before you can pick new dates and set them aside.”
That window came when Irish Fest, which last took place in 2019, went on hiatus from 2020 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Boxing Banjo, seven-time All-Ireland harp and banjo champion Lisa Canny, The Chancers, Gaelic Brew, Myles McVeigh and The Hoyle Brothers, Clayton Shay, and Wild Colonial Bhoys are making their Irish Fest debuts.
“The genres of music crisscross,” said Devitt of Palos Park.
“We try to cater to all of the musical tastes out there of the people who come to Gaelic Park.”
Other musicians include Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute; The Dirty Wellies; Liam Durkin; The Fitzgeralds; 4CAST from Orland Park; Gerry Haughey; JigJam, which recently made its Grand Ole Opry debut; and The Larkin and Moran Brothers from Chicago’s Mount Greenwood community.
Irish dancing schools performing include Blackbird Academy of Irish Dance from Tinley Park, Cross Keys School of Irish Dance from the Southland, Lavin Cassidy School of Irish Dancing from Worth, Mullane Godley Irish Dance Academy from Chicago and Sullivan School of Irish Dance from New Lenox.
“We’ve very conscious of the fact that we can’t just be an Irish club. We have to appeal to a broader spectrum of America that makes up the south suburbs,” Devitt said.
Longtime Irish Fest attendees may be missing the carnival for 2023’s installment but he said the Children’s Tent features lots of activities and entertainment primarily provided by Glenn David Productions.
“We hope to have the carnival back next year,” said Devitt, who added that Chicago Gaelic Park and the city of Oak Forest agreed to skip the carnival in 2023 due to safety concerns.
According to Devitt, the Performing Arts Stage includes short stories and poems read by Gaelic Park Players, which is based at Chicago Gaelic Park, and an exhibit on loan from the Consulate General of Ireland in Chicago depicting James Joyce’s life and works.
“It’s a festival that brings three and four generations of the same families together. Everybody’s got something to do,” Devitt said.
Irish Fest also features add-ons at Chicago Gaelic Park’s The Carraig Pub where The Guinness Experience with certified cicerone and Guinness ambassador Jimmy Callahan is $20 for 4 p.m. Aug. 26 or 27 and Five Farms Irish Cream Experience is $20 for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 26.
Irish Fest 2023
When: 4-11 p.m. Aug. 25; 3-11 p.m. Aug. 26 and 27
Where: Chicago Gaelic Park, 6119 W. 147th St., Oak Forest
Tickets: $15 one day, $27 two day or $36 three day in advance; free ages younger than 12
Information: 708-687-9323; chicagogaelicparkirishfest.org
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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