Arts & Entertainment

Jumping Horses and a Pillow Fight: Gaelic Park Irish Heritage Day 2012

The annual event is quickly approaching and will feature family fun, games, food, drinks and all things Irish at Gaelic Park on Saturday, Sept. 16.

Calling all Irish—or even just the Irish at heart. is set to hold its annual Irish Heritage and Harvest Day in just a few weeks and you're invited. The free event takes place Saturday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Park, 6119 W. 147 St.

“We've been doing this probably seven or eight years,” said Marian Ryan, general manager. “We're going to do it rain or shine, though things might be moved around depending on the weather.”

The all-day event will feature fun for everyone in the family, including games, live music, Irish dancers and various demonstrations throughout the day. Among the games family members can take part in are: a straw pillow fight, three-legged races, a dizzy stick race, a tug of war and a Gaelic Sports skills competition.

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In addition to the family fun, there will be a bit of competition as well, as teams from around the Chicago area compete in hurling, which Ryan said was similar to field hockey.

“Hurling is one of the national sports of Ireland, it's played with a stick and a ball, similar to field hockey,” Ryan said. “This would be kids playing it and like I said, it's one of the national sports of Ireland. There are several teams set up here in Chicago.”

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Ryan added that there will also be several demonstrations throughout the day, including a horse jumping show, a horse and sheep display and threshing.

“Threshing is when wheat is brought it and it's put through a machine, the grain is taken from the wheat,” Ryan said. “It's an old fashioned way of removing the grain from the wheat. It's going to be a demonstration.”

Additional information can be found at, www.chicagogaelicpark.org.


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