By Staff
IRISH FESTIVAL St. Patrick Catholic School student Sean Offenberger, 12, left, physical education teacher Angel Smith and students Shane Brewer, 10, and Esme McFerrin, 9, set up decorations for Saturday's ShamROCK Street Dance. The street dance is a part of St. Patrick Catholic School's Irish Festival scheduled Saturday from 2 p.m.-7 p.m. Photo by Anna Wright/The Meridian Star
By Penny Randall / staff writer
March 5, 2004
All things Irish will be showcased Saturday during the first annual St. Patrick Irish Festival.
The festival, which replaces the school's annual MayFest, will be from 2 p.m.-7 p.m. at the St. Patrick Family Life Center, church and surrounding grounds at 2601 Davis St.
Activities include a rock climbing wall, leprechaun games, old fashioned penny arcade, a miniature train that children will ride through a shamrock tree forest, giant joust and castle inflatables, and a ShamROCK Street Dance featuring a live deejay.
A free concert of Celtic music, performed by members of Father of the Waters Pipe Band and the UpBeat! Chamber Group of Meridian, will be from 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. in the church sanctuary.
The food court will be serving up Cajun gumbo, Philippine cuisine and Irish coffee all day. Historical tours of the landmark St. Patrick Catholic Church building also will be offered to the public every 15 minutes.
The purpose of the festival is to raise funds to aid in the operating expenses at St. Patrick Elementary School, where currently more than 140 children ranging from preschoolers to sixth graders are enrolled.