By Meredith O’Donnell
Celebrating the gifts of music, food and culture inherited from the Irish, the sixth annual Irish Experience Festival took place Sunday at the University Arena.
Green shamrocks led the way to dancers and musicians who performed throughout the event. The band The Hooligans, with their fiddle, accordion, and harmonies, also entertained visitors.
Kate Bradley, 15, and her older brother Bill, 18, from North Port, said this band was the reason they decided to attend the festival for the first time.
“Our dad is friends with them,” Kate said.
“It’s a jolly good time to listen to the bands, especially since we’re 100 percent Irish,” Bill said.
Paddy Doyle’s Boots played traditional Irish music in the lobby to welcome visitors.
“This year was the first time we added live music in the lobby which created the tone and set up the mood as people entered,” Artistic Director of Community Arts Programs and Executive Producer of Hofstra USA Productions Robert Spiotto said.
Frank Ryan and Friends also played in the lobby during the afternoon, and at one point, ventured outside to play bagpipes, Spiotto said.
“I was told that when people were driving around the University looking for where the festival was, they followed the sound of the bagpipes and found their way,” he said.
The festival drew a large crowd, Mary Beth Jacovides, the assistant director of Campus Life Projects who also helped organize the event, said.
“We made twice the amount [monetarily] this year than any other year,” she said. “There was a huge crowd and everybody seemed to be into it.”
Aside from musical acts, there were numerous stands set up offering information on organizations, such as the Irish Cultural Society in Garden City and the Irish Museum.
Vendors sold Irish flags, decorative hats and pins and dolls in kilts named “Patrick.” Handmade pillows, mirrors, and bird houses, along with other Irish artifacts for the home were also on display.
Tommy Moloney’s “A Taste of Irish Home” sold imported bacon, corned beef and traditional sausage.
“It’s a good time just to walk around and take in the culture,” Mike Kelly, 21, of Smithtown said.
DJ McCormick, 23, also of Smithtown, epitomized the myth of the Irish, raising his cup and saying, “…plus a selection of beer as good as any local bar.”
Entertainment wasn’t just for adults.
For children there was face painting, hair braiding and Leprechaun hats, as well as inflatable slides and Velcro walls.
Mary McFadden from Mineola brought her two granddaughters, ages 5 and 7, to the event.
“It’s important for youngsters to learn about their heritage and experience things that pertain to it,” McFadden said through a thick Irish accent. “I came [to the U.S.] in 1974; a lot of things around here look familiar.”