The Boyle School of Irish Dance outside the Sherwood Center. Photo by Bonnie Hobbs.
The sounds and sights of Irish singers, dancers and musicians will fill the air during the 22nd Annual CCÉ Irish Folk Festival in the City of Fairfax. Set for Saturday, Sept. 23, from noon-7:30 p.m., music performances and cultural displays will be held at the Sherwood Center, 3740 Old Lee Highway, and at the Auld Shebeen Irish Pub, 3971 Chain Bridge Road.
Dublin-based Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ) is the largest, nonprofit group involved in the preservation and promotion of Irish traditional music and culture This family-friendly event is presented in cooperation with the City of Fairfax and the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts. It takes place rain or shine, parking is free and venues are handicap-accessible. Cost is $10/person, with a $20/family maximum.
Irish music and dance will be performed by both world-class artists and regional all-stars. Headline performers include Kieran O’Hare, Liz Knowles and Pat Broaders, Open the Door for 3, National Heritage Fellow and accordion maestro Billy McComiskey, Sean Clohessy, Sean McComiskey, Matt Mulqueen, Josh Dukes and Kieran Jordan, Cover the Buckle, and Aoife Scott and Band
Tunes will be played on the fiddle, banjo, pipes, flute, accordion and drum. Attendees will also experience the vibrancy and riches of Irish traditional songs, dances, culture and community through step dancing, social dancing, plus sean-nósdance performances including Shannon Dunne Dance. For a detailed schedule of the music sessions, performances and instructional workshops, go to www.CCEirishfest.org.