Irish Fest wrap-up. Finally.

I need to wrap up Irish Fest before the details fade completely. My back's been stiff all week and I haven't had a lot of energy because of it, so I kept putting this off. Sorry about that.

Deal of the Fest: There were, apparently, two of these but I participated in neither. There was a trucker hat that could be purchased for One dollar. Despite my need of hats, I didn't get this because I don't find the trucker type to be comfortable in general. Eric had no such problem and bought one. There was also a lemonade stand that would get you a handmade lemonade in a tall collectable glass for $4. You could get the glass refilled for $2. When you spend all day there, this is a great deal. Rumor has it that this drink mixed well with vodka but I don't know who would do such a thing. wink wink.

A few years ago on a rainy day I saw Scythian play at the Rock Stage. There were maybe 20 or so people there. They were a lot of fun and I grabbed their CD that day. This year the band was a last second fill-in. They rocked a packed Tipperary Tea Room Saturday night and made a bunch of fans. Sunday afternoon they played at the larger Miller Lite Stage to an enthusiastic but smaller crowd. They're still a lot of fun. They released a live album and I had to get it. They signed it for me and everything. They liked my sideburns so they're clearly wise men. They also play a great sped-up version of 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia'!

Over the course of five days, I saw Gaelic Storm play four times. It never got old. That band puts on a great show. They were recording the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday shows for a DVD release. I'm looking forward to that.

My favorite food this year was the Bridie, which I had not had previously. I still enjoyed the reuben rolls as usual but this Bridie was just excellent. It's a mincemeat pie in a puff pastry. It was tangy without being spicy. The pastry was light. It was filling without being too heavy. It was $5, with fries added for an extra dollar. Never got the fries. I grabbed three or four of those and kept sharing them because it didn't seem right to keep the joy to myself. Gotta find that restaurant...

I stopped counting beers on Saturday and Sunday because those were longer days and it just wasn't worth the effort. I did drink a lot more Snakechasers but also mixed in other beers as the days went on. I think I drank less than previous years, mostly because I was with my group for more than normal. When I'm by myself and doing the back-and-forth walk, it's easier to get into a drinking rhythm. When the group's there, I'm not doing the walk and, therefore, I drink when I drink, not because I'm on the other side of the grounds.

I did get a tea on Sunday. No shamrock cookie though. They sold out. I like getting a tea and a cookie every year as my own little tradition.

Oh well, maybe next year.