3rd Annual Havertown Irish Festival: What You Need To Know

HAVERTOWN, PA — Havertown will transform into a slice of Ireland on Saturday, June 22 as the 3rd Annual Havertown Irish Festival is set to being all things Irish to the area.

The free festival will be held from noon to 9 p.m. in the Manoa Shopping Center rear lot at 1305 West Chester Pike in Havertown.

Attendees will see a procession of local dignitaries and Irish township residents, led by the 2019 Grand Marshal John Stretch of Stretch Funeral Homes and the Philadelphia Emerald Society Pipe Band.

The procession will lead to a joyful day of traditional music and dance, Irish treats and great brews at Kelly’s Pub.

There will be all types of traditional foods and treats from area restaurants, chefs and bakers, including the great merchants of the Manoa Shopping Center.

Irish associations, guilds, and clubs will present their areas of expertise and celebrate the unique Irish culture, legends, and traditions handed down through generations and still vibrant today.

Area businesses will spotlight their services, local non-profits will promote their missions, local artisans and craftspeople will be offering their unique Irish themed items for sale, and so much more.

Proceeds from the event will support The Kelly Center for Music, Arts and Community scheduled to opening this summer in Havertown.

"The Irish welcome everyone and we do too for this festival," Tom Kelly, Chairman/Executive Director of Kelly Music for Life, said. "Ireland has some of the friendliest folks on the planet and that friendliness is reflected here in Havertown. We have something for everyone - dance presentations, kid’s fun zone, crafters, beer garden and enough food, music and fun to make anyone green with envy!"

The Irish have lived in the Havertown community since at least the early 1800's.

St. Denis, a parish in Haverford Township was founded in 1825 by an early Irish Immigrant, Denis Kelly from the Finn Valley in County Donegal.

Kelly attracted many fellow Irish throughout the mid-1800's to our area as refuge from The Great Starvation occurring in their homeland. He gave them jobs in the mills that he owned that once lined Cobbs Creek.

The Havertown Irish Festival is presented by Kelly Music for Life, a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to improving lives and communities through music. The Havertown Irish Festival will benefit the Kelly Center for Music, Arts, and Community, local music programs, and other community initiatives.

Get more info on the festival here.