Barrington Celtic Fest
Last Updated: March 20, 2017
Message from Bryan McGonigal:
On behalf of the Pub and all our staff, THANK YOU to all those who came out for the 7th Annual Barrington Celtic Fest this past weekend. It turned out to be rather legendary - one of our all-time best events - and we're already looking forward to St. Patrick's Day next year... a short 362 days away! We'll get some additional photos (and shares) posted up on the Celtic Fest Facebook page as soon as possible.
The SEVENTH Annual
Thursday March 16 - Saturday March 18, 2017
Visit the official Facebook page for the latest updates
Indoors: McGonigal's Pub & The Loft (2nd level)
Thursday 11:00 AM - 1:00 AM
Friday 10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Saturday 11:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Outdoor Tent: 200 Block of Park Avenue, just East of Cook Street
Thursday 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Friday 11:00 AM - Midnight
Saturday 11:00 AM - Midnight
Help us reach maximum donation potential!
Thank you for your support!
Entertainment Lineup & Venue Info Food & Drink Vendors Sponsors & Participants Directions
The Village of Barrington continues to cultivate and support its wonderful community, and the growth of the village has never been more apparent than now. With new businesses and entertainment options flourishing, Barrington truly has become a great place to live, work and play. Building on such rich traditions as the Independence Day Celebration, Brew Fest, Cruise Nights, Farmer's Markets, the Art Festival, Bags for Charity, Homecoming Day, Street Fest, Relay for Life and the Scarecrow Fest, the Village is thrilled to welcome back one of the largest annual events, and being that it's in March it's the perfect start to another year of big fun in Barrington.
The 7th Annual Barrington Celtic Fest will take place on Thursday March 16th through Saturday March 18th on the 200 block Park Avenue, just East of South Cook Street and including both levels of McGonigal’s Pub. The three day event begins on the day before St. Patrick's Day and runs through Saturday. A huge heated festival tent will be erected over the majority of Park Avenue so patrons can enjoy the celebration outdoors without worries about the fickle March weather! The agenda for the weekend includes live music, a mix of local merchants, various entertainment including Irish dancers, bagpipers, special guest appearances, and of course plentiful availability of food and beverages both in the outdoor festival area and the pub. Details on music, participants and food/drink vendors are listed below.
Admission to the festival is FREE all weekend throughout McGonigal’s Pub and the Festival tent!
Since we do support the American Cancer Society with these festivals, we request patrons to stop by their booth in the Festival Tent and donate whatever you can (any amount is acceptable and appreciated). Volunteers from the Relay for Life will be on site throughout the event, so anyone who would like to contribute can do so at anytime. The owner of McGonigal's Pub, Bryan McGonigal, lost his mother to cancer several years ago, so this cause is is near and dear to his heart. The Pub has set a goal of raising $2500 for the Relay for Life event.
The Pub will be offering an "expanded limited" menu INSIDE throughout the festival weekend, see the information under Food & Drink vendors for details (normal restaurant services will resume on Sunday March 19th). In the tent the Pub will be offering additional items not included inside. There will be other food options through Clarke's Bakery & Deli & samplings from a new neighboring restaurant opening in April... both of which are fellow Barrington businesses. During the entire fest the Pub offers full bar service in both levels, and in the tent there will be a huge beer truck serving Guinness, Harp, Smithwicks & Miller Lite green beer. There will also be other mixed drink & liquor options available in the tent. Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and water will be available through the Pub food station. Note - in the festival tent, all beverages and food will be CASH ONLY. Credit cards (and full bar services) can be used in the Pub.
To best accommodate all our patrons during the Barrington Celtic Fest, the Pub, Annex and Festival Tent will be 21+ in age after 8 PM on all three festival days. Also, please understand that this is the busiest weekend of the year for us and other Irish pubs, so as a heads up there will be NO special seating, private event bookings or reservations of any type taken for the duration of the Celtic Fest. Seating specifically for dining will be available in The Loft (the Pub's 2nd level) on a first come, first served basis. There will also be tables in the Festival Tent again on a first come, first served basis. In order to efficiently service the large crowds, most of our drink and dining services will be changed over to paper & plastic during these three days, with normal full restaurant service returning on Sunday March 19th. Additionally, NO COUPONS, daily food & drink specials or other promotional discounts will be honored March 16th - 18th. We apologize for any inconveniences.
The Barrington Celtic Fest is focusing on food, drink and fun, with local and Irish merchants on hand. Families are welcome and encouraged to attend, especially during the daytime hours. However, please use your best discretion with younger children at all other times... it's still St. Patrick's Day weekend at an Irish Pub, which inevitably becomes more of an adult holiday as the evening hours arrive.
Hope to see you here this weekend!
(start and end times subject to minor changes)
Thursday March 16th
Festival Tent
DOORS OPEN AT 5 PM
(5 PM - 11 PM)
7:30 PM - 11 PM: ROCK OF AGES (LIVE)
Pub Main Level
DOORS OPEN AT 11 AM
(11 AM - 1 AM)
7:30 PM - 11:00 PM: Vaguely Familiar Duo (LIVE)
The Loft
Open for Dining at 4:00 PM
Seated Dining, Irish Music, Jukebox
& NCAA Tournament Games
8:00 PM - 11:30 PM: DJ Dance Party with DJ Atlas (LIVE)
Friday March 17th
Festival Tent
DOORS OPEN AT 11 AM
(11 AM - Midnight)
Noon - 2:00 PM: Terry Spizzirri (LIVE)
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: McNulty Irish Dancers (LIVE)
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Trinity Irish Dancers (LIVE)
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Flannery Irish Dancers (LIVE)
7:00 PM (approximately) - Bagpipers (LIVE)
8:00 PM - 11:30 PM: The Messengers (LIVE)
Main Level
DOORS OPEN AT 10 AM
(10 AM - 2 AM)
Noon - 5:00 PM: Seamus O'Kane (LIVE)
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM: Vaguely Familiar Duo (LIVE)
8:00 PM - Midnight: The Ragged Rascals (LIVE)
The Loft
Open for Dining at 10:00 AM
Seated Dining, Irish Music, Jukebox
& NCAA Tournament Games
Saturday March 18th
Festival Tent
DOORS OPEN AT 11 AM
(11 AM - Midnight)
Noon - 4:00 PM: Cirrus Falcon (LIVE)
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Trinity Irish Dancers (LIVE)
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM: McNulty Irish Dancers (LIVE)
8:00 PM - 11:30 PM: TRIADD (LIVE)
Main Level
DOORS OPEN AT 11 AM
(11 AM - 2 AM)
3:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Sons of Bildor (LIVE)
8:00 PM - Midnight: Fast Eddie McAteer (LIVE)
The Loft
Open for Dining at 11:00 AM
(11 AM - Midnight)
Seated Dining, Irish Music, Jukebox
& NCAA Tournament Games
9:00 PM - 1:00 AM: DJ Dance Party with DJ Atlas (LIVE)
Items listed below are subject to change before the event starts
In the Tent
Corned Beef Sandwich
Hot Dog
Beer & Ale Sausage
Mac & Cheese
BBQ Babyback Ribs (half slab, sectioned)
BBQ Turkey Leg
All items come with a bag of chips
Drinks available in the Tent:
Guinness
Harp Irish Lager
Smithwick's Irish Ale
Miller Lite (green while it lasts)
Mixed drink table with 2Nite Vodka, Jameson & more
Pepsi, Diet Pepsi & Water
*CASH ONLY in the tent*
Inside the Pub
(includes Full bar services)
Corned Beef & Cabbage
Reuben Sandwich
Corned Beef Sandwich
Shepherd's Pie
Fish & Chips
Irish Lamb Stew
Caesar Salad
Chicken Caesar (with crispy chicken)
Pub Fries
Chicken Fingers
Kid's Chicken Fingers
Kid's Mac & Cheese
Kid's Fish Fry
Kid's Hot Dog
*Cash or Credit Cards accepted inside*
Clarke's Bakery has been a part of the Barrington Community since 1986. They pride themselves in fresh, family recipes.
Corned Beef & Cabbage with Brown Bread
Variety of baked goods, cookies, and dessert items
American Cancer Society / Relay For Life
Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce
Irish American Heritage Center / Irish American News
The Irish Boutique/Paddy's On The Square
The entire event is located in downtown Barrington, centered around McGonigal’s Pub at 105 S. Cook Street, which is located one block east of Rt. 59 (Hough Street) and half a block south of Lake-Cook Road (Main Street). Access to the event via the Union Pacific Northwest Metra Rail is very convenient as the event is located only two blocks west of the Barrington Station. Plentiful & free parking is available all weekend in the Metra station, and also in the downtown Barrington area
More information will be available on the websites for the Village of Barrington and the official Facebook Page. We sincerely thank our sponsors and the surrounding communities that will help make the Barrington Celtic Fest another huge success in 2017!
Facebook Link:
http://www.facebook.com/celticfest
Press Coverage:
Thousands show Irish pride during Barrington Celtic Fest (Chicago Tribune)
Celtic Fest continues through Saturday in Barrington (Daily Herald)
Beer, beef and bagpipers: Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at suburban pubs (Daily Herald)
Barrington Celtic Fest runs Thursday through Saturday (Daily Herald)
Hallelujah! Chicago-area Catholics can eat meat on St. Patrick's Day (Daily Herald)
Your Guide to Lake Co., Chicago Area St. Patrick's Day Festivities (Patch.com)
Chicago-Area St. Patrick's Day Festivities: Parades, Fireworks, Chicago's Green River (Patch.com)
Barrington Celtic Fest (Village of Barrington)
5 ways to go green for St. Paddy's Day (Chicago Tribune)
7th Annual Barrington Celtic Fest (Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce)
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