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Date: 8/14/2019
WEST SPRINGFIELD – Western Massachusetts will be able to experience the cultural traditions of Ireland at the second annual Lúnasa (loon-uh-suh), a festival at the Irish Cultural Center (ICC) of Western New England in West Springfield on Aug 24.
The ICC is a non-profit organization that provides access to Irish-oriented lectures, concerts, exhibitions of art, artifacts and memorabilia, political discussions, international relations, sports, language, summer camps, student exchange, and genealogical research. The ICC is used by the communities across the Pioneer Valley and into Connecticut.
“Lunasa is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the Harvest Season. We are saying goodbye to the summer and welcoming the fall with open arms,” said Jaime Cardoza Boyle, ICC director and chief advancement officer.
“Annual Irish festivals used to be popular but have gone to the wayside,” Cardoza Boyle said. The goal of the festival is to “have people be able to experience the music, the dancing, the crafts.”
The lúnasa, which is sponsored by Sarat Lincoln and O’Leary Limited Partnership, will feature bagpipers, dance performances by the Cassin Academy of Irish Dance and Black Rose Academy of Irish Dance, and music from Padraig Stevens with Leo Moran of The Saw Doctors; Erin Og; Zoe Darrow; and John Tabb, Ellen Redman (of the band Banish Misfortune) and Friends.
There will also be workshops to learn basic Gaelic language, Irish dance, and how to make a St. Brigid’s Cross. In addition, there will be craft vendors, kids’ face painting and glitter tattoos, and cornhole boards. Food trucks and concession stands will offer a variety of food, beer, and drinks.
Tickets are available at the gate and in cash only. The cost of admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for children under 5 years.
“I believe people will leave this event with a sense of admiration and pride for the Irish heritage. We are a people full of life, and love and we want to share that with our community,” said Cardoza Boyle.
The day after the festival, on Aug 25, the ICC will hold their first annual Feis (pronounced Fesh), an Irish dance competition. Cardoza Boyle explained to Reminder Publishing that, to have a feis, an organization must first have an established festival.
While the Feis will feature local dancers, there is an international component. Cardoza Boyle said the owners of two dance companies, the Cassin Academy and the Black Rose Academy, went to Toronto to learn how to hold a traditional feis and be registered by the North American Feis Commission (N.A.F.C.). The N.A.F.C. is an organization responsible for the registration and organization of every Feis in North America.
Both events will take place on the ICC grounds at 429 Morgan Rd., rain or shine. Parking will be at the ICC and at West Springfield High School with a shuttle service.