Church Hill Irish Festival kicks off tomorrow

If you think RVA’s celebration of St. Patrick’s Day is over after Shamrock the Block and Shockoe Fest, think again.

March 21, 2014; 2:15 PM • by Eric Steigleder

The 29th annual Church Hill Irish Festival begins tomorrow, March 22, and runs through Sunday, March 23 on Broad and 25th Streets. If you haven’t seen the posters around town, you either don’t live in the Church Hill area or have been actively avoiding anything Irish-themed. This flyer includes the dates and times for all the events, parking information and a list of organizations that donations benefit.

Give it a look-see:

This staple of the Church Hill neighborhood will feature live music (including a harp competition and an Irish Dance stage) and a St. Patrick’s Day Parade, as well as vendors, traditional food and drink, and the famous Hill Topper 5K on Sunday.

Malachy McCourt will serve as the Grand Marshall of the Parade. For those unaware, Mr. McCourt is an author, radio host, actor and the younger brother of Frank McCourt, the author of the best-selling memoir Angela’s Ashes.

If you’d like to learn more, here’s an interview from 2012 with Mr. McCourt about the importance of language and stories in the Irish culture:

Video: Malachy McCourt on Limericks and Proverbs

This is shaping up to be a fun event and a great way to get involved in the Church Hill community. See you there!

Photo courtesy of: churchhillirishfestival.com