Attending events and festivals is something that I have always loved since my childhood. I love watching performances from various artists. Precisely, the events that I have attended concerned different world culture and it was thrilling to experience the food, music, and dance from a different culture. During the summer, I attended the Dublin Irish Festival in Dublin, Ohio. It is an annual music and cultural festival. Chicago’s Irish American News previously named the event as one of the biggest and best festivals in the U.S. The event was noisy and packed with many people from different backgrounds. It was an event that showcased every facet of Irish culture. Apart from the music food, music, and dance, the Dublin Irish Festival had traditional arts and crafts, dance lessons, competition, and ancient tales from storytellers.

The event attracted more than 100,000 people across the world. I attended the event on Saturday, August 6, 2016, at Coffman Park, 5200 Emerald Parkway in Dublin, Ohio. The admission to the event cost $12 for individuals with age ranging from 13 years to 59 years (The Dublin Irish Festival n.d.). Seniors paid $10 each; however, children 12 years and below attended on a free ticket.

On Saturday, the event started at 11:00 am and ended at midnight. Prior to the performances, all that a person needed to experience was the Irish attitude. The celebration brought people together regardless of their backgrounds. First, after arriving at the event, I attended the music concert, and the performance was incredible. Over the years, the Dublin Irish Festival has created an environment for fresh new talent. The event has introduced young faces with an uncompromising passion for the Irish culture. The new and old generation of artists has the certainty that the Irish tradition would not only survive but also evolve. The Dublin Irish Festival featured 60 musical acts from both the U.S and Irish artist (Yahoo News 2016). They performed the music on seven stages. Precisely, the stages entailed Celtic rocks and traditional ballads. However, I did not attend the whole performances, but a few that I witnessed were fantastic.

At the Celtic Rock stage, I was moved by the rhythm of rocks from Red Hot Chilli Pipers. The Celtic rock consisted of pipers, guitarists, keyboards, and drummers. The group played the Bagpipes with attitude, and the whole vicinity was celebrating. The group’s performance was one of the best on that day. Bagpipes are unique instruments to Celtic music; however, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers showed consistency and dedication in their play. The rock element in the performance, fusing of traditional pipe tunes together with the lights and choreography made the show more entertaining. The group’s new “The Getaway” album reinforced the privilege they received and member’s considerable skills.

After an outstanding performance from the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, I got an opportunity to watch a performance by Peel Regional Police Pipe Band. The origin of the group is Ontario Canada, and it consists of students, medical professionals, engineers and human resource personnel. Currently, the group has more than forty members. The group’s objective is to compete and succeed as grade one pipe band, and you could notice that in their performance. They brought an indeterminate experience to the Dublin Irish Festival. Although the performance by Red Hot Chilli Pipers had set the bar impossibly high, Peel Regional Police Pipe Band produced an instrumental performance that rocked the stage. The use of professional series bass and tenor by the band portrayed the range of defined notes, the warmth of harmonics and the ease of tuning.

Similarly, I was lucky to have witnessed a dance performance from the Academy Irish Dance Company. The group performed Irish step dancing, and I loved every minute of it. It was fun hearing taps of hard shoes from professional dancers. The traditional Irish costumes worn by the social step dancers were excellent. From my seat, I could feel their stiff upper body and quick movements of the feet. The movement of their arms was in a sort of routine that made interesting choreographies. Moreover, the dancers created precise foot placements and postures that captivated the audience.

The Dublin Irish Festival had more than 95 vendors in the marketplace and Emerald Arts Isle. Dublin Irish Festival is one of the best Irish festivals in the U.S. Marketplace booths, and cultural exhibits had at least 90 percent of Irish-themed products. I was happy to have visited and experienced some of Ireland’s finest trade, gifts and wares.

The traditional Irish foods were plenty for people to taste and eat. You do not need to be an Irish to participate and enjoy the celebration. However, the festival prohibited the vending of alcohol. Therefore, the place had a variety of marvelous Irish foods and traditional American foods and drinks. Some of the Celtic foods that were available included lamb stew, scones, traditional fish and chip meal (The Dublin Irish Festival n.d.). In addition, finer restaurants and caterers offered cotton candy, hot dogs, ice creams, and special items such as salmon and crab cakes. I was eager to taste the Irish foods since I had never taken one. Therefore, I moved to one of the vendors and ordered Irish salt potatoes and sour cherry lemonade.

After eating the Irish food, I went to experience the Amateur Highland Games Competition. Athletes from the region contended for the best athlete of the day. It was one of the largest competition in the Dublin Irish Festival. Events that people participated included heavy hammer throw, braemar stone put and caber toss. I enjoyed the competition and lastly, I attended the Amateur Boxing Showcase. Ireland regards boxing as a successful Olympic sport. I was lucky to see renowned Ireland boxers such as Steve Collins and Barry McGuigan. Moreover, the showcase featured local and regional talents.

In conclusion, the Dublin Irish Festival was a captivating event that I enjoyed. I could say that I spent my summer well and what I experienced was something worth to narrate to my colleagues. The experience and exposure I got from attending the festival were worth the money I spent to buy the ticket. Paying $12 to attend the event was affordable. The music performance by Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Peel Regional Police Pipe Band, and Academy Irish Dance Company was a treat. I got the chance to experience the Irish culture, and I would say that it was phenomenal. Moreover, the Dublin Irish Festival had more than 95 vendors in the marketplace and Emerald Arts Isle. I tasted some of the best traditional Irish foods. The Amateur Highland Games Competition featured both famous boxers and local talents. From what I learned about the Irish culture, I would advise anyone to attend such events.

Work Cited

The Dublin Irish Festival. About us. N.d. Online <http://dublinirishfestival.org/>

Yahoo News. Rediscover Your Rhythm at the Dublin Irish Festival August. July 25, 2016. Online <http://finance.yahoo.com/news/rediscover-rhythm-dublin-irish-festival-200000705.html>

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