Watch CBS News

Best Irish Concerts & Festivals In Minnesota

St. Patrick's Day will be here on Thursday March 17, 2016. That date is only the beginning of a year filled with great Irish concerts and festivals held throughout Minnesota.
Kickin' It Irish! 
Steppingstone Theatre
55 Victoria St N,
St Paul, MN 55104
www.kickinitirish.com

Dates: Thur., Mar. 10 through Sun., Mar. 13 and Tues. Mar. 15 through Thur. Mar. 17, 2016.

A new standard for Irish theater stems from the energetic debut of the show, Riverdance. Dublin native Cormac O'Se stunned the world entertaining nearly two million people on four continents over six years with his lively performance. O'Se brings that energy to our local stage along with Live Ireland's Best Vocalist of the Year Norah Rendell. The performance is supported by a stage full of world-class dancers and the award winning band, Bua.

Kickin' It Irish
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres
501 West 78th Street
Chanhassen, MN 55317
www.chanhassendt.com

Dates: Mon. March 14, 2016. Dinner service begins at 5:30 p.m.; show begins at 7:30 p.m.

Cormac O'Se is back at CDT with Aidín Ní Shé and a lineup of 18 world championship dancers. The show is filled spell-binding Irish step, hard and soft shoe dancing. This family-friendly evening will fill your body with the music of Two Tap Trio's tin flute, fiddle, guitar and accordion. It will feature other instruments such as the Irish bodhran and the African djembe.

St. Patrick's Day Music Blow Out
Kieran's Irish Pub
85 6th Street North
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 339-4499
www.kierans.com

Date: Thurs., March 17th, 2016 at 12:00 Noon

"Every Irish bar in Minnesota will put its best foot forward on St Patrick's Day, but Kieran's will not be outdone," says Craig Wait, general manager. This year, the celebration started on March 6 with Family Day, which included traditional live music acts, Irish dancers, face painting and balloon art. Then, Wait greets St Patrick's Day by opening the pub at 10:00 a.m. Later that day, Broken Spoke and two other bands will grace Kieran's main pub stage. Join the DJ-fueled dance party in the heated tent outside and dance on the huge raised platform dance floor. Come back for the weekend celebration featuring Pat McCurdy in two acts starting at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday March 19.

Related: Best Parades / Celebrations On St. Patrick's Day In Minnesota

Celtic Woman 10th Anniversary Tour
The Sanford Center
1111 Event Center Drive NE
Bemidji, MN 56601

Date: Tues., June 07, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.
Price: $76 to $368

No other group can elevate Celtic music to a pinnacle of celebratory ecstasy better than this all-female Irish vocal group. Molding sound and meter of timeless music from the Emerald Isles into contemporary sound produces a extremely powerful experience to behold. Another rare treat is the artistry of skilled band members playing traditional Celtic instruments, such as the bagpipe, bouzouki, bodhran, tin whistle and Uilleann pipe. These infrequently heard instruments add an eerie charm to Celtic Woman's high-energy revelry.

Irish Fair Of Minnesota
Harriet Island
836 North Prior Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55104
(651) 645-0221
www.irishfair.com

Dates: Fri, Aug 12 through Sun, Aug 14, 2016.
Price: Free

Mark your calendars for the nation's largest free Irish fair. Three entertainment stages feature nearly a dozen local and international bands that are some of the best in Irish music. Get more music by stopping by the Traditional Irish Music Seísiún. Musicians gather informally at this tent bringing accordions, bodhrans, fiddles, flutes, tin whistles and uillean pipes sharing their knack for traditional Irish music to everyone's delight. This three-day fair is family-friendly with many more happenings like Irish step dance, traditional Irish group dance, a children's tent, Irish Authors Literary Corner, Gaelic sports, Celtic Marketplace, cultural displays, native Irish dogs, the Best Legs in a Kilt Contest, a traditional tea room, Irish shopping, food and drink.

Related: Wander Minnesota: A Touch Of The Irish

Robin Johnson was born in Annandale, Minn. and graduated from Richfield High School and then the University of Minnesota where he studied Political Science, Business and Industrial Relations. A writer for Examiner.com, he also consults with a variety of organizations and individuals helping them develop and grow. His work can be found at Examiner.com.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.