As anyone who’s even attended our massive St. Patrick’s Parade knows, there are strong ties between Ireland and Metro Atlanta. And that is why it’s no surprise that big crowds are expected in Roswell this weekend at the annual IrishFest Atlanta.
IrishFest Atlanta launches this evening at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center and continues through the weekend, taking over venues including the grounds of Roswell City Hall, Zion Baptist Church, and the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Atlanta – Roswell. The festival was created back in 2013 by Phoenix School of Irish Arts of Atlanta president Teresa Finsley, and organizers say the mission is simple: celebrate Irish arts and culture, and showcase the impact Ireland has made on countries around the world.
And speaking of arts and culture, the festival features a packed lineup of entertainment from both local and international performers, starting with a concert tonight by acclaimed trio Open the Door for Three (fiddle player Liz Knowles, uilleann piper Kieran O’Hare, and Dublin-born singer and bouzouki player Pat Broaders) with Kevin Doyle. Saturday will feature performers on a trio of stages on the city hall grounds and an evening concert by traditional band Téada back at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center.
Along with performing, IrishFest Atlanta guests also teach various workshops on Saturday and Sunday, and special experiences happening over the weekend include an Irish bread-making competition and a live cooking demo with our great pal Thomas McKeown, the executive chef at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.
For information on this weekend’s IrishFest Atlanta and a full program of events, click here. And click the video player in this article to check out our morning getting a tasty preview of the weekend’s festivities!
