In response to the cancellation of Hoboken’s St. Patrick’s Day parade this year, some enthusiastic Hobokenites fought for their right to party by organizing the first ever Hoboken Lepre-con. (or Hoboken Leprecon, there were actually two competing pub crawls).
But our friend Chris Halleron decided to take the celebration in a different direction. After many phone calls and emails, and help from the organizers of The Pier Sessions, the Hoboken Hospitality Association and even the City of Hoboken itself, he was able to put together Hoboken’s first Irish Cultural Festival, to be held Wednesday, March 14, 2012.
The event will start off at 4pm with a demonstration of the Gaelic sport of hurling, the fastest field team sport. The Hoboken Guards Hurling Club will play an exhibition as they prepare for their upcoming second season. The action takes place at the Hoboken Little League field adjacent to the music festival site in Sinatra Park. [see map]. After the match, the hurlers will conduct a youth clinic to introduce Hoboken’s youngsters to the ancient Irish sport.
At 6pm, Hoboken’s own Garden Street School of the Performing Arts will perform traditional Irish step dancing. Following the dancers, an evening of live Irish music will commence, with local musician Will O’Connor. Visiting Dubliner George Murphy, a traditional Irish folk singer from Dublin, goes next. The show will close with a raucous north-Jersey act, Paddy & The Pale Boys, performing Irish music “not for the faint of heart”.
Chris promises an evening of crack agus ceol (Irish for good times and music). There will be music, dancing, and oh yes, beer! All proceeds from beer sales and all other concessions will benefit The Hoboken Shelter and Hoboken American Legion Post 107, which runs an Adopt-A-Soldier program to deliver care packages to U.S. armed forces personnel overseas.
This event is free and open to the public. RSVP via facebook
