The South Side Irish Parade Committee is pleased to announce the creation of the South Side Irish Parade Family Fest, a culturally-rich St. Patrick’s Day celebration to be held on Saturday, March 13, 2010.
Hosted in conjunction with the Beverly Arts Center, this daylong event will feature activities such as an Irish soda bread contest, a best-dressed “Irish” dog contest, and a children’s parade around the art center’s grounds. The event will also offer family-friendly activities such as Irish-themed arts and crafts for kids, children’s films, and a live production by the Beverly Arts Centers’ own children’s theater group. In addition, this event will feature food, drink, numerous Irish vendors, and live entertainment from bagpipers, Irish dancers, and a host of Irish musicians. The evening will culminate with a performance by Hothouse Flowers, a world-renowned band hailing from Ireland that combines traditional Irish music with influences from soul, gospel and rock.
The South Side Irish Parade Family Fest will be the marquis event in a 10 day celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in the Beverly/Morgan Park community – a celebration which will begin with the return of the Chicago Irish Film Festival. Now in its eleventh year, this series of features, shorts, documentaries and animated films is one of only a few such Irish film festivals in the United States. It will be held at the BAC from March 5-10 – visit www.chicagofilmfestival.com for complete details.
Also being held at the BAC is the Chicago Rose of Tralee contest – a competition in which women ages 17-27 exhibit their knowledge of and dedication to their Irish heritage. The winner of this contest will be crowned the Chicago Rose on the evening of March 12th and will go on to represent Chicago in the international competition in Tralee, Ireland.
Beverly/Morgan Park’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities will peak the following day with the South Side Irish Parade Family Fest, an event which will, in addition to the aforementioned activities, also be featuring a Grand Raffle. The Grand Raffle will be a major source of funding for the fest, so the parade committee encourages all community residents to consider supporting the raffle. Tickets are $50 a piece and prizes range from $250 to $10,000. For more information about the raffle or to purchase tickets, contact (773) 393-8687 or southsideirishparade@yahoo.com.
Before 4:00 p.m., admission to the South Side Irish Parade Family Fest will be $10 for those 13 and older, and $7 for seniors 60 years of age and older. Children 12 and under will be admitted free of charge. After 4:00 p.m., admission will be $25.00 per person. The admission fee will grant patrons access to the day’s entertainment as well as all children’s/family activities. Food, drink and merchandise can all be purchased separately. To purchase admission tickets in advance, contact the Beverly Arts Center at (773) 445-3838.
On Sunday, March 14, 2010, the traditional day of the South Side Irish Parade, St. Cajetan Catholic Church will hold its annual Irish Mass at 9 a.m. The parade committee anticipates that other local parishes will maintain their worship traditions as well. Following Mass, residents of the Beverly/Morgan Park community will be invited to gather at the Beverly Arts Center once again, this time for a blessing and reception. The parade committee then encourages locals to continue to celebrate in their homes that afternoon with family and friends, just as in years past.
Please visit this website again in the coming weeks for more information on the upcoming South Side Irish Parade Family Fest.