MOHAWK VALLEY IRISH CULTURAL Volume 14, Issue 3 EVENTS NEWSLETTER Mar 2017 Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade - Irish Pride, Family Fun On Saturday, March 11th, downtown Utica will once again be the site of one of the Mohawk Valley’s most fun-filled family traditions: the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Presented by the Great American Irish Festival, the parade starts at 10 AM at Oneida Square and continues until reaching Columbia Street. Many spectators find the reviewing stand area in front of the Stanley Theatre a prime location to enjoy the parade, but the fact is there is not a bad viewing spot along the route. The parade -- the culmination of a full week of Irish-centered activities in honor of National Irish Month -- will be proudly led by this year’s Grand Marshal, Vaughn Lang. The St. Patrick’s Day parade is one of Utica’s oldest and grandest celebrations, originated in 1836 by Utica’s first mayor and pre-eminent Irishman, John C. Devereux. After a few years of inactivity, the parade was revived in 1978 as a short parade down Varick St. It was moved to Genesee St. shortly after the “Cable Cares Club” began hosting the parade. In 2007 the Great American Irish Festival took over the reins and it now holds the distinction of being one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York State. Parade Committee Chairman Frank Redmond is pleased with the progress being made thus far, but still is looking for volunteers. If you’re interested, contact him at [email protected]. Construction in Full Swing at Utica’s Irish Cultural Center Site The long-awaited construction of the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley is in full swing, with stalwart workers braving the elements of a Central New York winter. The center – a joint vision of the John C. Devereux Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Great American Irish Festival – has seen good progress since construction stepped up in late September. After literally starting from the bottom and working up, workers have now finished pouring concrete for the first floor. Situated directly at the “five points” on the site of the original St. Patrick’s Church — the first Irish parish in the area, having been established and built in the mid-1850s by a burgeoning population of expatriate Irishmen – it is considered “sacred ground” by many in the local Irish community. Vaughn Lang, a Syracuse-area based attorney and developer who joined the project last year in an effort to help move it forward, said the project, which is estimated to cost about $2.5 million, is expected to include a new 21,211-square-foot building, an Irish heritage museum, an event center that would seat about 250 to 300 people and an 1800s-style Irish pub that is being constructed and shipped from Ireland. Lang said they hoped to work through winter on the project, and on-line posts have suggested a completion date sometime during the Summer of 2017. For more information and updates, follow the progress on Instagram and on Facebook. Mohawk Valley Irish Cultural Events - 1 Grand Marshal’s Reception to be held at The Stanley Theater Marking the ceremonial “passing of the Shillelagh” from the previous parade Grand Marshal to this year’s, the Grand Marshal’s Reception will be held on March 6th, 2017, in the lobby of the beautiful Stanley Theater. Last year’s Grand Marshal, Christopher McGrath, will be on hand to do the honors, when – flanked by an assemblage of past Grand Marshals – he hands off the shillelagh to this year’s honoree, Vaughn Lang. The reception, which runs from 5-8 PM, costs $10, which goes to defray the costs of the parade. Food and refreshments are included, and providing entertainment throughout the evening will be Craobh Dugan, Utica’s chapter of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. Utica’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Conducts Food Drive “There is a story about a man who left this earth and was taken on a tour of the inner realms. He was shown a room where he saw a large group of hungry people trying to eat dinner, but because the spoons they were trying to eat with were longer than their arms, they remained frustrated. “This,” his guide told him, “is Hell.” “That’s terrible!” exclaimed the man; “Please show me Heaven!” “Very well,” agreed the guide, and on they went. When they opened Heaven’s door, the man was perplexed to see what looked very much like the same scene: there was a group of people with spoons longer than their arms. As he looked more closely, however, he saw happy faces and full tummies, for there was one important difference: the people in Heaven had learned to feed each other.” — Alan Cohen, “The Dragon Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” For the 9th consecutive year, the Utica St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee is conducting a food drive, appropriately called “Remembering the Irish Hunger,” as a way of giving back to the community, and in remembrance of one of the most horrific and defining periods in Irish history. On March 11th, St. Patrick’s Day Parade attendees and marchers are asked to bring non-perishable food items to the parade, which will be collected and turned over to Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen at the St. Joseph- St. Patrick Parish Center. Named for Blessed Mother Marianne Cope, who grew up in West Utica and went on to devote the last 30 years of her life to the lepers of Hawaii’s Molokai, this program also claims a unique tie to the local Irish community: It is located across the street from the future Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley; the site of the original St. Patrick’s Church, which was built by a burgeoning Irish population who had come to America to escape the Great Hunger in the 1850s. Chairing this cause, as she has every year since its inception in 2009, is Chris Hoke, who took the germ of an idea from then Parade Director Kevin Dowling and turned it into the extremely successful event it is today. To date, Chris and her stalwart team of volunteers — her friends and family, GAIF volunteers, family and employees of Adorino Construction, and members of the Holland Patent HS National Honor Society — have collected and donated over 9000 food items and more than $9300 to the West Side Kitchen. This year Chris wants to make the drive the most successful yet, so start collecting up your non-perishable food items and on Parade day, fill up the familiar wheelbarrows and green money boxes, before or during the parade. Many thanks go to Chris for heading up this annual drive, to Adorino Construction for their continued support, to Carol Moseman and her charges from the Holland Patent Honor Society, and to the many parade attendees and participants who have so selflessly “learned to feed each other” year after year. Mohawk Valley Irish Cultural Events - 2 Music of the Season There is so much going on this month, in order to keep the newsletter to a manageable heft, we’re going to bulletize some of the many events going on in the general area. Glengarry Bhoys – Mar 4, Johnston’s Ballybay Pub, 7 PM. Kick off St Patrick’s Day week in the ‘Cuse with the one and only Glengarry Bhoys! They’re back at the Ballybay, where they first played in this area, for a memorial gig for Gus Johnston, owner. Tickets are $12, or $10 for 5 or more. Scythian - Mar 4, Homer Center for the Arts, 8 PM. Named after Ukrainian nomads, Scythian (sith-ee-yin) plays immigrant rock with thunderous energy, technical prowess, and storytelling songwriting, beckoning crowds into a barn-dance rock concert experience. $23-$28. Enter the Haggis - Mar 4, Kallet Theater, 7 PM. Everyone’s favorite roots rockers Enter the Haggis travels to Pulaski for a special 7 PM show. Tickets are $15. Teada - Mar 7, Kitty Hoynes Pub, 7 PM and Mar 9, Old Songs series, 7:30 PM. A traditional band with a truly worldwide reach, Téada recently received a Yeats 2015 WDC Funding Award for a show production celebrating the Sligo-inspired poetry of W.B. Yeats. You can catch them twice this month, first at a dinner concert at Kitty Hoynes (tickets are $17 + dinner cost) and two days later at Voorheesville’s Old Songs; tickets for that show are $25. Irish Comedy Tour - Mar 10, Proctor’s Theater, 7:30 PM. The party atmosphere of a Dublin pub combines with a boisterous, belly-laugh-inducing trio for The Irish Comedy Tour, featuring irreverent comedians Mike McCarthy, Derek Richards, Damon Leibert and Derrick Keane. $30. Causeway Giants & Gerry Dixon - Mar 11, Kitty Hoynes Pub, Starts at noon. With his performing skills and engaging personality, Gerry will take you on a memorable trip to the Emerald Isle; Syracuse’s Causeway Giants wrap up the day with their unique high-energy show. There is no admission. Girsa - Mar 11, Walton Theatre, 7:30 PM. GIRSA (Gaelic for “young girls”) is a traditional Irish music band made up of eight women with a passion for their music and incredible skills across the board. You can catch them – and you should -- at the Walton Theater. Tickets are $15. Pat Kane and West O’Clare, Mar 11, Cummings Theater, 8 PM. Pat Kane is a seasoned showman, having performed as a singer, dancer, actor and instrumentalist since childhood.