The Burlington Irish Heritage Festival celebrates and raises awareness of Irish and Irish-American culture in Burlington, Vermont and the surrounding region, with a special focus on the calendar period around St. Patrick’s Day. The BIHF works with local musicians, dancers, writers, historians, artists, and co-sponsors to create a core set of events during the week closest to St. Patrick’s Day.

Schedule of Events:

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Celtic Company Irish dancing

Celtic Company is a performance dance troupe based out of Waterbury VT. The team is made up of classically trained Scottish Highland and Irish dancers and their choreography combines aspects of both dance styles. Celtic Company offer a mix of traditional and contemporary elements in their performance pieces and enjoy touring around the state of Vermont and sharing their love and passion for Celtic dance!

2:15 pm - 3:00 pm: Greg Delanty – Irish Poet

Join us at Ri Ra Irish Pub for poetry readings by Greg Delanty.

Greg was born in Cork City, Ireland, and maintains dual citizenship in Ireland and the United States, where he has lived since 1986. He is the author of Book Seventeen, The Ship of Birth, and No More Time, among many other books, and he has received numerous awards for his poetry, including a Guggenheim Fellowship. He teaches at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. His newest title is The Professor of Forgetting, published by LSU Press.

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Irish Music Pub Singalong

Join us for an Irish singalong at RÍ RÁ the Irish Pub’s back room. Bring your favorite Irish songs, ballads, shanties or recitations to sing – or just listen and/or join in with the chorus! Joining us this year will be special guest, Irish poet Greg Delanty, who will share a reading from 2:15PM – 3PM.