Come celebrate the Irish in you by attending the Irish festival. The annual Cape Coral Irish festival is taking place Saturday March 2nd and Sunday the 3rd from 10am-8pm on both days. The Irish Festival is a Cape Coral tradition and a fun family friendly event for people of all ages. In 2003 The Cape Coral Irish American Club was founded to educate community members about Irish culture, history, dance, art, folklore, poetry, and many more aspects of the Irish culture. The 2019 Irish festival will be taking place at the back of the German American Club, located at 2101 SW Pine Island Road, Cape Coral, FL 33991. Beware, you may see some rainbows and even a leprechaun or two. There will even be a pot'o'gold!

 

Celebrate Irish American culture in your own backyard by attending the festival while wearing some green, drinking some Irish beer - WARNING - don't drink like an Irishman, eating some Irish food, all while enjoying the company of other members in the community. A lot of Internationally recognized bands will be playing live sets as well as a live Irish  musical. Some of the bands that will be in attendance are Albannach, Jamison Celtic Rock, West of Galway, Brendan Nolan, the Lee County Pipers, Irish step dancers, Screaming Orphans, and many more!  Elaborate Irish costumes will be plentiful from entertainers scattered throughout the festivals grounds. The dance tent is open from 1pm - 5pm both days. Raffles for a “pot o’ gold” will be done several times a day, and a raffle for a trip for 2 to Ireland will be drawn on Sunday March 3rd at 8pm to close out the last day of the festival all raffles are only $5 a ticket. The prize includes Airfare from New York to Dublin, A rental car for a week and a bed & breakfast. People from all over Lee County and Southwest Florida attend this event.

 

The festival is family friendly with lots of activities on Leprechaun Lane, like arts and crafts for the kids, and even rides. Free face painting, games, arts & crafts, and rides are just some of the activities you and your family can enjoy. If you’ve ever been curious on how to dance the Irish jig you can take free lessons in the dance hall.

 

 

At the festival you can expect to eat a lot of traditional Irish food, Like Corned beef sandwiches, corned beef dinners served with cabbage, boiled potatoes, and carrots. Other Traditional Irish foods are available like shepherds pie, potato pancakes, Peppers with sausage, and for the less adventurous, hotdogs. Irish food is a huge part of Irish culture and history, Ireland was very reliant on potatoes so a couple hundred years ago when a disease that killed potato crop struck the country, it killed roughly a million people and displaced another million. Resulting in one of if not the most deadly famine in history.

 

 

 

The current schedule may change at anytime but to give you a rough idea on what to expect and when here it is:

Saturday March 2nd

10- Opening ceremony with Brendan Nolan

11:15- West Of Galway

12- Lee County Pipes and Drums

12:20- Kellyn Celtic Arts Dance Irish

1:05-Albannach

2:05- Screaming Orphans

2:50-3:05-50/50 Raffle Drawing

3:05- Derek Warfield And The Young Wolftones

4:05 -Rathkeltair

4:50- Kellyn Celtic Arts Dance Irish

5:20- Screaming Orphans

6:05-6:20- 50/50 Raffle Drawing

6:20- Albannach

7:15- Jamison Celtic Rock

Dance Tent- 1PM TO 5PM

Children’s Games And Crafts – 12 TO 5PM

 

 

 

Sunday March 3rd

10- Roman Catholic  Mass

11- Brendan Nolan

11:30 Lee -County Pipes And Drums

12- West Of Galway

12:55- Albannach

1:40-Kellyn Celtic Arts Dance Irish

2:05-Screaming Orphans

2:50-3:05-50/50 Raffle Drawing

3:05-Derek Warfield And The Young Wolftones

4:05PM Rathkeltair

4:50- Kellyn Celtic Arts Dance Irish

5:20- Screaming Orphans

6:05-6:20- 50/50 Raffle Drawing

6:20- Albannach

7:15- Jamison Celtic Rock

8-Trip To Ireland Raffle Drawing

Children’s Games And Crafts 12 To 5PM

Ceili Dance Tent 1PM To 5PM

 

 

Last year over 6,000 people attended the two day festival and attendance is expected to rise this year. Admission for people over the age of 12 is $10 and 12 and under get in free. This will be the 15th Irish festival so if you haven’t been already now is your only chance to go until 2020. Proceeds go towards the Cape Coral Irish American club and the scholarships they offer. Both scholarships they offer (the Richard Mahigan & the Joseph Cobb Memorial Scholarship) have the winners announced at the annual Irish festival. The Richard Mahigan scholarship is awarded once a year during the Irish American festival to promote Irish culture and heritage.  This scholarship was started by the Mahigan Family to honor Richard Mahigan who immersed his life in Irish culture.  Irish American culture is alive and well thanks to the Richard Mahigan family who created the scholarship fund in his memory.  The scholarship is also funded by the generosity of Cape Coral Irish American club members, volunteers, local businesses, community organizations, Roman Catholic churches and attendees of the annual Cape Coral Irish American festival. The Mahigan Scholarship to students with a passion for Irish music and culture; and those who help to advance the study of Irish culture. The Joseph Cobb Memorial Scholarship Fund was established by members of the Cape Coral Irish American Club in the memory of Joseph Charles Cobb. Joseph Charles Cobb was a very active person in Cape Corals Irish American club and community. Joseph Charles Cobb was a former Cape Coral Irish American Club President and Festival Chairman for several years. The purpose of the scholarship is to promote Irish culture in young people, and is awarded annually at the Cape Coral Irish American Festival. The Irish American Festival is a 15 year old Cape Coral tradition that celebrates Irish culture found right here in Southwest Florida. It is a great way to learn more about this very passionate culture for you and your home family. So grab some friends and family and eat, drink, sing, and dance at the 15th annual Irish American festival.