The Irish 2000 Music and Arts Festival Inc. is hosting its annual festival at the Altamont Fairgrounds on Friday, Sept. 19, and Saturday, Sept. 20.
Irish 2000 boasts an average attendance of 14,000 attendees, ranking it in the top five Irish festivals in the United States.
It’s been a big part of my life. It’s important to me on a personal level, said Matt Nelligan, president of the festival.
He said the chartable nature of the organization allows him to `try to be a good citizen,` by participating in the event.
Nelligan said the event was run through the Ancient Order of the Hibernians until 2000, after which it became its own entity.
He joked that there is going to be a good deal of Italian food at the festival since the Irish are not known for their cooking prowess.
Friday’s events begin at 5 p.m. and end at 11 p.m., and Saturday’s events begin at 11 a.m. and end at 11 p.m.
It is the 12th annual festival, and several Irish artists are featured, including Greenwich Meantime, Neck, Carbon Leaf, Enter the Haggis, the Tossers and Barrage on Friday; and Great Big Sea, Gaelic Storm, Seven Nations and Hair of the Dog performing Saturday.
The festival will feature more than 30 performances on two stages Friday, and four stages on Saturday.
It will also feature a Celtic Kids Family Fun Area, where children will be able to play games and go on rides, Nelligan said.
He added that there are going to be clowns and magicians, as well vendors selling Irish and Celtic goods.
Tickets for Friday are $15 if purchased in advance, and $20 at the gate.
Saturday’s tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the gate. Children under 10 will be admitted free, and a two-day pass, purchased in advance, is $25. The parking fee is $3.
A free bus service will be made available on both Friday and Saturday from 9 to 11 p.m. The bus is going to leave from the Fairgrounds and make two stops, one at the Howard Johnson Inn and Suites at 1614 Central Avenue, Colonie, and one at the Albany Irish-American Center at 375 Ontario St. There will be cabs at both locations to bring passengers to their homes.
`The festival’s board of directors is urging anyone who drinks alcoholic beverages at the event to use this free service,` said Nelligan.
Front man for Hair of the Dog, Rick Bedrosian, said playing the festival is one of the highlights of the year for the band.
`It’s one of the best [Irish] festivals in the world, and always one of our best shows of the year,` said Bedrosian, who plays bass and sings the lead vocals for the band.
Bob Hallett, the lead singer and instrumentalist of Great Big Sea, said playing the festival allows the band to take its music to a higher level.
`Any band that strives to succeed in the world wants to play bigger shows,` Hallet said. `We never intended to just be a backyard band.`
Hallet said Great Big Sea, which hails from Newfoundland, primarily plays pop music with traditional folk music instruments.
He said they take inspiration from the Irish, Scottish, English and French folk music traditions.
The not-for-profit Irish 2000 Music and Arts Festival Inc., with headquarters at the Albany Ancient Order of Hibernians, Irish Cultural Center in Albany, organizes the annual festival.
Since it has started, the festival has made donations close to $300,000 to charities including the Albany Irish-American Center, the Irish-American Heritage Museum and all of the schools of Irish dance in the Capital District.
The year, the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York and the national charities of the Ancient Order of Hibernians will be the beneficiaries of the event.“