Access Atlanta had a list of St Patrick's Day events around Atlanta. Personally, I love that Irish and Celtic pride is strong on the holiday all around the world. The parades and streets covered in green is magical to me. But I also recognize that the average St Patrick's Day celebrator is missing out on the best of the holiday, the music and culture of Ireland and the Celtic nations.
While recording the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast's 4-hour episode of the St Patrick's Day songs and tunes yesterday (the show comes out on Thursday), I read a lot of comments about how Celts are disillusioned by typical green beer St Patrick's Day celebrations. So I want to share with you how to Celebrate it right in Atlanta or wherever you live.
But first, will you please help promote the BEST St Patrick's Day events in your area? Here's how:
FIND THE CELTIC BANDS IN YOUR AREA
I made a HUGE list of Atlanta Celtic musicians that I posted on my blog. You can help out your community. Do the same. Find every Celtic band or musician in a 100 mile radius of you, write blog and post it on Blogger, Tumblr, Substack or any other sort of public blog.
This is a GREAT way to help out your local Celtic community. Don't worry if someone else has already done it. Make your own list. Put your favorites at the top.
Once you've done that, go ahead and copy the whole blog post and share it on Facebook. If you share it on a blog, it's more likely to end up in search engines. These bands NEED your help. So please help spread the word.
FIND THE CELTIC DANCERS AND OTHER CULTURAL EVENTS
I'm not talking about green beer… or well, anything related to beer. Yeah. That is historically a big part of the culture too, but that's not what Irish culture is really about. It's about the music, the dance, the heritage, the crafts, the movies, the art. Beer just makes it a bit more fun. 😉
Add all of these events to your blog post. You can either list the events or just list the organizations putting them on.
And here's a hint, if it's a CITY event, it's prolly not a cultural event. If it's a pub like Fado's, it's prolly not a cultural event. Those will be more green beer, shamrocks and leprechauns. There's nothing wrong with either of those things. But the goal is to celebrate Celtic heritage RIGHT!
Alright, you found the great cultural events. Let's pick which YOU want to be a part of.
Start checking websites. See where the bands are playing. So what kind of events they are hosting. See what kind of events organizations are organizing. Find what's best for you.
Do you like the drinking?
Do you like Irish dance?
Do you want to kick back and quietly watch a movie (oooh. Making me think of The Quite Man)?
Is there food you need to make or enjoy? What place is serving it?
Do you love the music?
Well, it's time to pick what's right for you.
For me, I love the music. I don't like the crowds. I love that it's my birthday (Yeah, I'm a St Paddy's Day birthday boy;-) I love to sing. That's where I find joy for St Patrick's Day.
Now if you scour the net and can't find any good Celtic cultural events for St Patrick's Day OR if you prefer the quiet relaxed environments, then perhaps it's time to turn on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.
The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast is the largest podcast of Celtic music in the world. It's been running for nearly 20 years. My goal with this podcast is to celebrate Celtic culture through music. Every week, you get an hour-long episode of Irish and Celtic music from around the world. Not all the great Celtic music comes out of Ireland or Scotland. It's literally around the globe from Las Vegas, to Japan, Germany to South Africa, Brazil to Texas, Nebraska to Chicago, and everywhere in between.
I play it all. Sometimes you get Celtic rock or bagpipes, some times fiddle or an original Celtic-inspired song. There is so much great music. I want you to enjoy it for St Patrick's Day.
ATLANTA CELTIC MUSIC FOR ST PATRICK'S DAY
Alright if you're in Atlanta, I am performing at The Wings Cafe & Tap House on March 16 and 17. Here are some of the Atlanta Celtic bands performing during the St Patrick's Day weekend that I know of.
- BlarneyGirls
- The BorderCollies
- Kathleen Donohoe
- Keltic Kudzu
- Land Loch'd
- The Muckers
- Olivia Bradley
- Toucan Dubh
Thank you for being a part of this Irish & Celtic music revolution and HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!
