By Pat Maurer
Review Correspondent
The biggest festival of the year, Clare’s Irish Festival, begins in just 12 more days in Clare.
The 47th annual event is scheduled March 16th through the 19th this year with music entertainment, special events, races, raffles, contests, great food and, of course authentic Irish cuisine all over town.
The fun actually began last month when the Irish Festival Best Frame Doubles and Karaoke Star Search began at Gateway Lanes. The event ends with the last of the tournament on Friday, Saturday and Sunday when the Best Frame Doubles winners will take home $1,800!
The Peppermint Lounge at the Lanes is also hosting the 31st annual Karaoke Star Search Contest, which began last month and winds up with the finals on the Irish Festival weekend!
Special events will be going on Wednesday through Saturday beginning with the Virtual Kathy Rynearson Memorial Food Drive from the 16th through the 19th.
Kathy was a charter member of the Irish Festival Committee and in charge of the fabulous Irish Festival Parade for most of the years before she died. Anyone who wants to carry on here community legacy can make a donation to the Clare County Community Foundation through either of the following funds: The Kathy Rynearson Homelessness Prevention Service Endowment Fund #712 at https://www.midlandfoundation.org/fund/kathy-rynearson-homelessness-prevention-services-endowment-fund-712/. The second available place to donate in Kathy’s name is the Clare County Community Investment Fund at the Clare County Community Foundation Community Unrestricted Investment Fund #701 at https://www.midlandfoundation.org/fund/clare-county-community-foundation-unrestricted-endowment-fund-701/.
The ongoing Window Decorating Contest will be judged Friday, March 18 and the winners will be announced on Saturday, March 19. Time and location TBA.
Business After Hours, sponsored at the Doherty Hotel from 5 to 6:30 p.m. is sponsored by Mercantile Bank. Immediately following BAH, The Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Live & Silent Auction follows in the Doherty Ballroom.
Thursday March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day and there will be Irish food, drink specials, prize drawings at Buccilli’s (both Thursday Friday and Saturday) and more all over town. The Clare Farwell American Legion Post will have Music by the Pickers and Reubens all day long, while Keven Chamberlain will be performing in the Doherty Hotel’s Leprechaun at 4:30, with Sound Productions entertaining
in the Ballroom at 8 p.m. and a Live DJ at Ruckle’s Pier from 9 p.m. to close.
To find some great Irish Cuisine on display, and even for sampling, you won’t want to miss the Irish Recipe Contest in the Clare High School Cafeteria Thursday evening. Judging begins at 5:30. After the judging, Adult and Youth winners will be announced in three “Best and Most Authentic” categories: Irish appetizer, Irish entrée and Irish dessert. Then everyone attending will get a chance to sample the entries and enjoy some musical entertainment.
Just across the CHS Commons, the Gateway Community Band will perform in the Gym beginning at 7:30. Music written specially to honor Posthumous Grand Marshal Darren Acton’s memory will be performed. The piece titled ‘Celtic Odyssey’ is a fitting tribute to this man, who spent his life committed to all things Clare.
Friday brings more Irish food and drinks at business around town including an All-You-Can-Eat Fish Fry from 4-7 p.m. at Our Lady of Hope by the Knights of Columbus.
Clare’s famous Cops & Doughnuts will be open all night long both Friday and Saturday.
Something new this year will be a Food Truck Caravan downtown on McEwan Street from 5 p.m. to Midnight on Friday and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to midnight. There will also be working Fire Pits on McEwan on Friday from 4 p.m. to Midnight and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to Midnight. Downtown will also sport a real “Blarney Stone” on the corner of Fourth Street and a stage for parade commentary on Saturday.
There is a wide variety of music around Clare on Friday including live DJ music both at Ruckle’s and from 8 a.m. to close at the Evening Post. There will also be Live Music and games at the Clare-Farwell American Legion from noon to 9 p.m. and live music by JJ and Jamie from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Moose Lodge will feature live music by Lonesome Strangers from 6-9 p.m. and the KINETICS, a live acoustic duo will be in the Hotel’s Leprechaun Lounge at 3 p.m. while from 7 to 11 p.m. Jedi Mind Trip will be at the Venue. St. Patty’s Karaoke will begin at 7 p.m. at Four Leave Brewing, and at the Doherty, Sound Productions will be in the Doherty Ballroom and Kevin Chamberlain in the Leprechaun Lounge both at 8 p.m.
Saturday is the festival’s biggest day for food and fun beginning first thing with the United Methodist Church All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast from 7-11 a.m. at the Fellowship Hall. Next it’s Green Pizza Buffet at Buccilli’s from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 4-8 p.m. Cops and Doughnuts will have All Day food-street side. Irish Dinners will be on the menu at the Doherty, Four Leaf Brewing, The Mulberry Café, 505 Café and Timeout Tavern. Ruckle’s Pier will have an Outdoor area open with Grasshoppers, green beer and a DJ. The Clare VFW will be serving Irish Cuisine, burgers, brats and sauerkraut from 1 p.m. to closing.
Saturday is also the biggest day of the festival for fun events with the White Pine Pipes and Drums strolling around through downtown from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
*Beginning the day’s events at 8:45 a.m. is the traditional Best Dressed Leprechaun contest at Witbeck’s at 8:45 a.m.;
*The Irish Festival Leprechaun Run, a 5K/10K/2 Mile Walk Road Race starts at 9 a.m. at Clare High School and just a bit later, the Kids Fun Run is scheduled at 10:45 at CHS;
*There will be live acoustic entertainment by Travis Wardin at Call Lily Mercantile from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
*The annual Irish Festival Craft Show and Vender’s Marketplace will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Clare Primary School featuring 75 booths;
*The Clare Union Railroad Depot will be open from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. with special Irish merchandise for sale by the Clare County Arts Council; museum tours and caboose tours.
*At 10:30 a.m. it’s back downtown for the Irish Festival Bed Races down McEwan (beginning at Ruckle’s this year) Prizes will be awarded for: The fastest bed – $250 sponsored by Jims Body Shop, the Best Irish Themed bed and Team members, and the Most Fun;
- Kevin Chamberlain will be performing at the Doherty’s Leprechaun Lounge beginning at noon.
*The annual Irish Festival Parade (applications available at the Chamber office or online at clareirishfestival.com) will start at Wilcox Parkway and heading down McEwan at noon. The parade will feature the family of deceased Grand Marshall Darren Acton, and also features the Scottville Clown Band to wind up the morning hours. Line up for the parade begins at 10 a.m. headed down the east side of McEwan until State Street when it will switch to the left side. Commentators will be promoting the parade as it passes from the Stage on the corner of 5th Street where you will also find a “Blarney Stone.
*The Clare Pilots Association will also perform a parade flyover at 11:50 a.m. again this year.
*A traditional favorite, the Scottville Clown Band will perform at 2 p.m. at the Moose Lodge and again in the evening when they will be there with the Lonesome Strangers from 6 to 9 p.m.
*A DJ will be at The Venue from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.
*Back at the Leprechaun Lounge, the KINETICS Live Acoustic Duo will perform at 3 p.m.
*At 4 p.m. downtown at the Stage on McEwan Street at the corner of Fifth, it will be time to “Show us your Irish.” Prizes for the person (1) “Wearing the Green- the most craziest green; (2) with the Greenest Eyes; (3) with the Most Freckles; (4) with the Reddest Hair; and (5) wearing the best Kilt.
*Raffle winners will be drawn at 6 p.m. at Cops & Doughnuts.
But the fabulous festival isn’t over then. At 8 p.m. Saturday at the Doherty, Kevin Chamberlain will perform in the Leprechaun Lounge and Miranda & the M80s will perform in the Ballroom.
Winners of the Irish Pet Photo Contest will be posted on the Clare Area Chamber of Commerce Website, Facebook and more!