Freckles, Fairies, Photography, Fun Offer Treats for All

Whether you're an artist or an athlete, a student or a senior, a first-time festgoer or a dedicated fan, Milwaukee Irish Fest offers a fun activity for every personality. 

"One of the greatest joys of Irish Fest is uncovering hidden treasures on every corner of the grounds, from shopping and Celtic rock on the north grounds to an entire Ballyfest Cultural Village on the south. We can certainly understand why some visitors spend all their time enjoying our 100 entertainment acts, but we don’t want them to miss out on everything else we have to offer," said Jane Anderson, executive director. 

Some of Milwaukee Irish Fest‚s newest and most popular cultural and family attractions are as follows: 

For art enthusiasts:
Develop a Milwaukee perspective of the Emerald Isle while viewing "American Eye: Contemporary Ireland Through the Lens of American Women," showcasing the work of Milwaukee photographers. 

Admire paintings and crafts created by members of the Women‚s Inter-Island Network, a group of artisans from the Isles of Ireland. 

Visit the Moore St. Market’s newest vendors, Lorna Smyth, a textile artist from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, whose specialties include embroidery on handmade paper, and Vincent McCarron, a traditional basket maker from the Aran Islands.

For families:
Create a musical slideshow of photographic memories with the help of Photo Opp, Inc., a Milwaukee startup that will make its festival debut by providing cameras and producing digital scrapbooks for Milwaukee Irish Fest attendees.

If your name is not Murphy, consider changing it, since this year’s Clan Reunion will extend prizes, privileges and an opportunity to march with kin in daily parades to all fest-goers named Murphy. 

Learn and play in the Children’s Activity Area, where kids accompanied by adults can create a mural of festival mascot Paddy McFest, build castles from Legos, fashion Celtic crosses from foam, weave fairy wreaths, cast lines in the Pot-O‚Gold fishing game and hop along stepping stones in the Fairy Ring musical game. Enroll the wee ones in the red hair and freckle contests.

For history buffs:
Trace the origin of your favorite song at „Irish American Song Stories, An Exhibition of American Sheet Music, 1850-1950,‰ from the collection of New York University professor Mick Moloney. The exhibit will feature audio clips of music legends like John McCormack and Bing Crosby and explore the origins of beloved songs from "My Wild Irish Rose" to "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen."

Board the Saint Barbara, a Galway hooker built in Chicago by Connemara native Steve Mulkerrins that will be docked alongside the Cultural Village in Lake Michigan. The Milwaukee Currach Club will sponsor an accompanying exhibit on the boat’s history. 

Explore the Gaeltacht area in the Cultural Village, featuring the history and literature of visitors from Ireland’s Irish speaking regions. 

Research your coat of arms and discover an explanation of your family‚s name in the Genealogy area.

For date-goers:
Graze in Cottage Market, where experts from the Irish Dairy Board and Bunratty Mead will offer daily demonstrations of Irish cheese-making and samples of mead. 

Check out the retrospective celebrating the centennial of Chicago writer, James T. Farrell’s birth in the Cultural Pavilion. Farrell created influential literary character Studs Lonigan, a would-be tough guy born to Irish Catholic immigrants on Chicago's south side. 

Cheer on competitors in tug-of-war, currach races or hurling, a field hockey-soccer hybrid that is the national sport of Ireland.

For hands-on learners:
Step up to the Dance Pavilion, where live music and friendly instructors welcome walk-ups for impromptu jigs and reels, or visit the Crossroads area for beginning dance lessons. 

Treat yourself to a new instrument at Waltons Music Shop and jam Celtic-style with other amateur musicians in a traditional session at the Lakefront Brew Pub, or learn to play and session at the Celtic Groove School behind the Music Shop. 

See and pet some of Ireland's most popular native dog breeds in the Celtic Canine Area.

For current event junkies:
Drop in on broadcasts by Irish radio stations, Galway Bay FM and Clare FM, to hear Irish journalists‚ observations of the Fest. 

Browse and shop an eclectic collection of Irish and Irish-American books from Kenny's Bookstore of Galway. 

Learn the latest strategies for keeping the environment clean and green at Greenwish Village, where Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful volunteers will collect old sneakers for use building a Milwaukee playground as a part of the Nike Reuse-a-Shoe program. 

For bargain hunters:
Shop the authentic wares in the Grafton, Lilliput, and Moore Street Markets, including CDs, Waterford, Belleek, musical instruments, jewelry, baskets, knits, arts and crafts. 

Visit with representatives from Aer Lingus in the Travel Ireland Area to learn about special promotions offered by Ireland‚s official airline. 

Sneak into the festival under a special admission price: $5 or free with a school supply donation Thursday, free Friday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., free Sunday morning with nonperishable food donations before the 9:30 a.m. liturgy and free all weekend long for children 12 and under.

For golfers:
Link up with a great vacation at Jerry Quinlan‚s Celtic Golf, the Travel Ireland area's first attraction devoted to exclusively promoting golfing tours of Ireland. Tee off with your wee ones at the "Lilli-Putt" miniature golf attraction in the Children's Area.

For the lucky Irish:
Test your family's recipes in the Red Star Yeast baking contests for traditional Irish soda breads, yeast breads, quick breads, muffins, biscuits and scones. 

Join the Arthritis Foundation's Run/Walk to Irish Fest at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. Participants earn free admission to the festival while helping people with arthritis. Check out www.arthritis.org  for more information.