24 Responses to “Church Hill Irish Festival this weekend”

1. posted by Claire Cooper at March 27, 2008 2:11 pm :
   

   I AM VERY PLEASED TO SEE THE IRISH FESTIVAL IS BACK AGAIN THIS YEAR. I WOULD LOVE FOR ANYONE WHO IS GOING TO BE AT THE FESTIVAL TO STOP IN TO OUR BUILDING AND SEE WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SETUP A TIME TO VIEW THE MODEL
   PLEASE CALL ME AT 804-432-8899.
   THANK YOU,
   NOLDE BAKERY MANAGER
   CLAIRE COOPER

2. posted by Oliver Stinkerson at March 28, 2008 12:24 pm :
   

   I want to know why I can’t attend this festival- so what if I have 4 legs!?! I like beer just like anyone else in CH, and although I’m not Irish, I am darn good-looking! Who doesn’t want a guy like me at their festival??

3. posted by Kat at March 29, 2008 7:53 pm :
   

   I have a comment about the Irish Festival alright- I hate it. That’s right, I said it.

   I don’t need people pissing in the alley next to my house, I don’t need their kids banging on my kitchen window saying “kitty kitty kitty”, I don’t need drunks yelling up and down the street,like right now!, and most of all I don’t enjoy the parking (or lack thereof) situation. I just had a most entertaining conversation with a woman who wanted me to call the police and tow the pickup that was blocking the alley. That’s right, *she* was parked in the alley and thought the jerk blocking her way should be towed- neither one of them should have been where they were and no one did a freaking thing about it all day. However god forbid you park in a real spot past 8am on street cleaning day.

   I know this is not my private estate and I must share the street with the rest of the city. But the planners of this event do absolutely nothing for the people that live here, there’s no parking and almost no extra security. It *is* an inconvenience.

   Throw rocks all you want. I know I am not alone in this opinion.

4. posted by Gray at March 29, 2008 9:31 pm :
   

   Did anyone try the Irish BQ, potato doused in cheddar, and hotdog on a stick? It looked both disgusting and tempting.

5. posted by john_m at March 30, 2008 6:38 pm :
   

   seen in the CH flickr pool:
   

6. posted by Murphy tha Dog at April 2, 2008 2:52 pm :
   

   I couldn’t go either, because I too have four legs, funny how a city street is no place for an Irish Dog. I will boycott this next year too until they let dogs in. For the Lady who hates it? Good thing you don’t live next to the Shamrock the Block it’s way more obnoxious.

7. posted by Amy N-B at April 2, 2008 3:42 pm :
   

   I love it! It’s my favorite time to live in Church Hill. I wish we had outdoor festivals 3-4 times per year.

8. posted by edg at April 2, 2008 3:52 pm :
   

   Sorry, murphy! However, I don’t believe pets are allowed at any of the city festivals (Folk festival, Brown’s Island events, Farmer’s Market events, etc.). I think it is health code issue - not because St. Patrick’s is against dogs. It looks like you’ll have to boycott all of them.

9. posted by cgoblen at April 2, 2008 3:56 pm :
   

   Does anyone have anything positive to say?! (And I don’t just mean “I love it!”…)

10. posted by john_m at April 2, 2008 4:02 pm :
    

    We had a nice time. We had out nephew in town, and walking from the house to the festival was a great “in the city” experience.

    We don’t live close enough for the event to impact our regular routine though I certainly have sympathy for folks that do have to deal with the uglier elements of the crowd and the parking.

11. posted by Gray at April 2, 2008 4:22 pm :
    

    Our family looks forward to the Irish Festival every year. The festival celebrates three communties –the church, the neighborhood, and the Irish Americans in Richmond. What a wonderful unique flavor for Church Hill. We are lucky to have such a diverse and rich history in our neighborhood.

12. posted by han solo at April 2, 2008 4:54 pm :
    

    it’s only two days out of the year. what’s the big deal if you’re inconvenienced during those times? i don’t get it.

13. posted by Collie at April 3, 2008 12:51 pm :
    

    Okay, street festivals are great. They’re great for the neighborhood, lots of fun, etc. But do the bagpipes have to warm up for hours in the parking lot outside my bedroom. A cacaphony of out-of-tune bagpipes is now my new least favorite way to be woken up abruptly.

14. posted by Partied Out at April 4, 2008 11:46 am :
    

    I think the festival is a great idea, but for those of us who live at ground zero (St John’s District) we are getting festivaled out. Between the Irish Festival, the Italian Festival, the High on the Hog, the Biker Fest put on by Child Savers We seem to spend a lot of time “entertaining” Richmond, not to mention picking up trash, having crowds trample through your yard, and dealing with blocked Streets. One Festival is cool…but let’s Spread the wealth. How about Windsor Farms for the next one?

15. posted by lisa at April 4, 2008 1:10 pm :
    

    I know many people who hate the Irish Festival event including me. Piss an trash everywhere.

16. posted by edg at April 4, 2008 1:42 pm :
    

    The only festival we have left now is the Irish Festival - the Italian Festival and, alas, High on the Hog are no more. I don’t remember the Biker Fest - where was that one held?

17. posted by bob at April 4, 2008 6:57 pm :
    

    “BikerFest” was a ride by the Buffalo Soldiers sponsered by ChildSavers. There was no “fest” just some good charity going on by some fine people who like to ride motocycles. Lighten up, Partied Out or move to the suburbs where they don’t have these things.

18. posted by Partied Out at April 4, 2008 8:16 pm :
    

    Sorry Bob. I’ve lived in over 5 major cities in residentail neighborhoods where they “don’t have these things” The fact is Church Hill has become quite a bit more “residential” than it was when I came here 10 years ago and when these events were originally conceived and it is not a good fit anymore. Simple as that. Parking problems, noise, trash are something residents SHOULD be concerned with. With the higher concentration of residents, this was inevitable. I suggest the Bottom, Browns Island, or places that can handle the crowds

19. posted by Celeste at April 4, 2008 8:49 pm :
    

    I have a lot of sympathy for those who live in close proximity. I lived for a short while at 24th and Marshall, and I felt like a prisoner during that time when the Irish festival was going on. I dealt with it by joining in, mostly….but it did make my weekend sort of hard to deal with, mostly because of parking. If I went out at all from Saturday morning through Sunday night, I could not park anywhere near my house.

    However, I know Stokes McCune, chief organizer of the event, and I like him a lot. I feel sorry for him ’cause he takes a lot of hits for being the primo organizer of the Irish Festival. He reads this blog. And, he responds, I think there was a post from him on another thread.

    I also know a lot of other folks at St. Patricks and they are good people. Time was, they were a struggling little inner city Catholic church, in serious need of raising money, and not that many people came to the Irish Festival.

    Anyway….that’s history, but….

    Three things. First and foremost - the proceeds DO go to non-profits. That’s cool, in my book.

    Second, the parking problem was my biggest bitch when I had to deal with it. Perhaps a LOT more promotion of the shuttle would be good.

    Third but most important - why not pull it back to one day? High on the Hog was one day. Not one weekend, but one day. Noon to dusk. Maybe that would make the Irish Festival more palatable to the neighbors, rather than moving it away from the church that started it. How do you folks feel about that?

20. posted by chris at April 5, 2008 11:06 am :
    

    Partied Out you must be mistaken…High on the Hog has been done for a while..I know close organizers of that event and they don’t plan on hosting it anymore and haven’t for the last couple of years. Not to mention this event is held at Libby Hill Park…no where close to where the Irish festival…the events are spread out among Church Hill. The Italian festival has gotten the boot as well…I feel you need to chill out…think of all the fan people whose houses are worth much more than ours up on the hill…they deal with more festivals than we can even imagine…just think about the Ukrops 5K and the Easter parade they had a couple of weekends ago…for all neighbors who don’t want these festivals in “our” neighborhood…give it a break..and stop thinking you are the only person that lives on the hill…I was one of those who helped clean up after the event last weekend and they wasn’t one piece of trash left in the park, on the streets, or in these so called yards you all have…which if anyone takes a walk on the streets where the festivals take place you will see..many of these houses if not all don’t have yards…not to mention the festival organizers hired trash clean up people from the city tomake sure that even during the weekend…everything was kept clean…$ from the festival supports the church, the neighborhood association, and many nonprofits….not to mention childhood cancer. Grow up and complain about something worthwhile. Or why don’t you go out and volunteer for something worth while…

21. posted by Bud Tugly at April 5, 2008 2:13 pm :
    

    Poor babies, two or three times a year there are parking problems and nosiy drunks wandering around.

    Try living in downtown Annapolis where we did for several years. 1). Sailboat show - Thursday through monday. 2). Following weeking Thursday through Monday Powerboat show. 3). 8 weekends a year, USNA home football games. 4). Commencement week. The rest of the year virtually any Friday, Saturday and sometimes Sunday night. Inebriated middies and drunken rowdy dates/friends not to mention alumni.

    I understand your concerns but Annapolis isn’t a major city but a pretty small town. It was the price you paid forliving in an historic, charming and vital community.

22. posted by Karen at April 5, 2008 5:38 pm :
    

    What happened to the Italian Festival????

23. posted by john_m at April 5, 2008 6:27 pm :
    

    last year for Italian Festival? (9/26/07)

24. posted by Ruth at April 5, 2008 9:16 pm :
    

    I agree, the festival should be cut down to one day. This year there were only a few people hanging around Sunday because of rain.

    And BTW, Since I’ve personally experienced how some people misbehave with their dogs in this neighborhood, I think it would be an enormous liability to pool those idiots, alcohol, and thousands of other people together in one place. Plus, many people are naturally afraid of dogs and shouldn’t be forced to be subjected to them.

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