The Savannah Irish Festival is a communal celebration of Celtic customs and culture, and it’s taking place on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Founded in 1993, the volunteer-organized event is an opportunity to “honor and promote Irish culture through music, dance, food and educational activities.”
“There’s Irish dancing, Irish food, Irish music. We have Irish vendors. We have speakers from Ireland. We have a cultural stage, just all things Irish. The festival also kicks off green season for the folks in Savannah…leading up to the St. Patrick’s Day parade,” said Tara Reese, Savannah Irish Festival president.
She said she is particularly excited about this year’s event because 2023 marks the festival’s 30-year anniversary. The festival is making its long-awaited return after a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It feels good that we’re finally back,” Reese said.
This year, the festival has undergone a bit of a rebrand, and will be in a new venue. In years’ past, the festival was held at the Savannah Civic Center. This year, the festival will take place at Savannah Station, 601 Cohen St.
“We’re excited to bring it to a smaller venue that’s locally owned and operated….We’re doing our best to keep it local. We want visitors from all over the Southeast to come out. We want to keep our money as local as possible,” she explained.
The location isn’t the only new change to the Savannah Irish Festival. There are new sponsors, new vendors and new performers taking the stage. This year, the festival is presenting an exciting lineup of speakers and performers including Irish music icons The Byrne Brothers, Savannah’s Legacy Irish Dancers, local Irish folk and trad band Seldom Sober and several others. Reese is particularly excited to see Carroll Brown and Fran Doyle.
“I’m excited for them because they used to play at Kevin Barry’s on River Street back when it was open. They closed in January of 2020. So, I think a lot of people who used to go to the pub will come to see Carroll and Fran because they were two of our popular acts,” she said.
Reese encourages the public to come out and support the Savannah Irish Festival because it’s a local family-friendly event that celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish people. Since its inception, the festival has been a collaborative effort produced by the 14 Irish societies here in Savannah.
The Irish community in Savannah dates back to the 1700s, and, as the festival evinces, the culture is still alive and well today.
While this year’s festival is fast approaching, organizers are already looking ahead to 2024, which marks the 200-year anniversary of the St Patrick’s Day parade in Savannah. Reese said they are planning to expand the Irish festival to two days next year, and they will be hosting more events in the coming months to raise money for next year’s festival. To stay informed about upcoming events, Reese encouraged community members to follow the festival on social media.
More information can be found at savannahirishfest.com
