It’s shaping up to be a beautiful weekend for the 13th annual Rockaway Beach/Breezy Point Irish Festival, especially to help out St. Camillus Church, and everyone is welcome.
On Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., head to the St. Camillus lot at Beach 100th and Shore Front Parkway, as the Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 21 has a weekend full of good craic in store. From Irish music with an unforgettable lineup, bagpipers, dancers, vendors, food, drinks and community, it’s not an event to miss.
Saturday kicks off local style with The Irish Mutts, featuring Bobby Butler, Danny Mulvanerty and crew starting at 1 p.m. At 2:30 p.m., the Breezy Point Pipes and Drums band makes an appearance. At 3 p.m., New York Celtic rock band Sheridan Rúitín performs. At 4:30 p.m., the O’Malley Irish Step Dancers break out the high kicks and ceilis. At 5 p.m., New York-based Irish folk band, The Narrowbacks, are back in Rockaway. And closing out the night is U2 Tribute Band, Unforgettable Fire from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
On Sunday, the day kicks off with The Night Visitors (formerly the Highland Rovers) at 1 p.m. At 3 p.m., local favorites, The Knobs, take over the stage. For the first time, world-renowned Celtic rock band, Barleyjuice, hailing from Philadelphia, is in town performing at 5 p.m. And finishing off the night are no strangers to Rockaway, Blackstone, New York’s premiere classic southern rock and blues band, playing from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The festival will also include a vendor tent, so bring cash to shop! Plus, there will be food vendors like Meat Up Grill, The Chipper and Mr. Sandwich, plenty of drinks for purchase, and free things to do for the kids including face painting and bouncy castles. Admission for the festival is $20 for adults and free for kids 12 and under.
Things were left up in the air after last year’s festival, with the anticipated closure of St. Camillus Church lingering, but just ahead of St. Patrick’s Day, with the luck of the Irish and a lot of prayers, Bishop Robert Brennan announced the church would not be closing after all. The community, and the AOH, rejoiced over the good news, but that meant the AOH did have a festival to plan, with less time than they normally would.
“Normally we start doing things in preparation for the next festival right after the festival is over, but with all the uncertainty, we couldn’t make preparations. We didn’t find out until March that we’d have access to the premises,” AOH Parade chairman John Moroney said, adding that the delay made locking in bands more challenging this time. “So, it was a bit of a scramble, but we’re caught up and ready to go. We have a good variety of bands from local bands to give it some local flavor, and some visiting bands that we’re really looking forward to seeing.”
The AOH will be selling t-shirts to raise funds and is once again holding a massive 50/50. And this time, a majority of the proceeds will go back to St. Camillus to help out the parish. “The parish is undergoing a difficult time, and anything we can do to help keep this parish going, I think, is very important, and any support that we at the AOH can do for the parish, is something we’ll be proud to do,” Moroney said. “It’s a lot of work but at the end, it’s worth it and it’s important that the parish remains a vital part of the Rockaway community. Too many churches and Catholic schools are closing, and we have a long, traditional history here with St. Camillus. It’s a staple of the community and we’re more than happy to help out.”
Raffle tickets can be purchased at the festival, from any AOH member and around town, like outside of churches after Mass and on Beach 129th Street. Tickets are $20, three for $50, or seven for $100, with a grand prize of the 50/50 jackpot and five $1,000 prizes up for grabs.
With the weather looking summery, Moroney hopes the weekend will draw good crowds. “We think of this as a summer kickoff. After the weather we’ve had over the winter and for the past few weekends, now it’s time to enjoy the great weather and kick off Rockaway summer with great bands, food, drinks and vendors to purchase merchandise. It’s all a good time and will support the St. Camillus parish and community,” Moroney said. “You’re really supporting your own is what it comes down to, so be there for both days to enjoy the festival!”
In addition to hosting the Irish Festival, the AOH Division 21 is looking forward to bringing back past events like their golf outing to benefit St. Camillus Special Olympics and a night at Citi Field for Irish Night. The AOH Division 21 is always looking for lads to join the organization. If interested, head to www.irishfest21.com for more info.
