A previous Irish Cultural Center music festival saw around 150-200 attendees.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
WEST SPRINGFIELD — As the last chill of a snow-packed winter fades away over the Pioneer Valley, the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England is bringing a tradition to West Springfield that dates back 5,000 years in Ireland’s history, welcoming the beginning of summer in the Celtic calendar.
Bealtaine is the ancient fire festival on the cross-quarter day between the spring equinox and summer solstice.
West Springfield’s first Bealtaine Festival is being held on ICC grounds at 429 Morgan Road on May 2 from noon to 9 p.m. The event is free admission.
The ICC website states “This time of the year celebrated the joy of light and abundance returning to the land. The ancient Celts would come together as a community to light bonfires signifying purification and transition. Hearth fires would be extinguished and a new fire lit. They would also move their animals to summer pastures, and the season was welcomed with the hopes of a prosperous harvest later in the year.”
The festival kicks off at noon with a Springfield Rifles rugby match, followed by an afternoon of live music from Jimmy McArdle and Jerry Murphy and a wide variety of activities for the kids, such as making flower crowns, learning the tin whistle and face painting.
The Trinity Pub bar will also be opening at noon and the Boricua Bites food truck will be serving “delicious snacks with a Puerto Rican flair,” according to the ICC, from noon to 5 p.m. The Irish House Restaurant will also be serving a special limited dinner menu from 5-9 p.m. An ice cream truck will also be making an appearance for the kids.
The fires will be lit from 5-6 p.m. to celebrate Bealtaine, followed by live music with New Leaf from 6-9 p.m. inside the pub.
ICC Executive Director Caroline Morrissey said this is an event for people of all ages and all cultures to enjoy and to usher in the spring and summer. She said that the ICC is also working to bring in more families with children so a new generation can grow to appreciate all aspects of Irish culture, from Irish history to the music and dance.
Morrissey has been executive director for eight months now and said she is trying to introduce new activities to have everybody see what the ICC is all about and to learn about history and culture.
“We’ve had some of our patrons and people on the board that have been to the festivals in Ireland,” Morrissey said. “They’re giving us some advice, and what they think is authentic.”
She said the ICC has a beautiful space with a field and large patio for this event and that she hopes it will be a beautiful day to say goodbye to winter, filled with good weather and fun times.
