BUTTE — After two years of being canceled due to the pandemic, Butte's festival celebrating Irish culture and heritage is back.
Crews were busy Thursday setting up for the An Ri Ra Irish Festival which begins Friday and continues through Saturday, featuring Irish music, dance, lectures, and workshops. The main stage for the event will be at the Original Mine Yard and all events are free to the public.
“It's just a great time, you know, it's one of those opportunities again to reconnect with people we haven't seen over the years, in the past two years, in particular. It's a great venue as you can see up here, it's a beautiful place and just come on out and enjoy yourself, that's what it's all about,” said An Ri Ra Committee Member Frank Walsh.
On Friday they will hold an Irish flag raising ceremony in front of the Butte Courthouse at 1 p.m., and the Butte band Dublin Gulch will perform at the Original Mine stage at 2 p.m. An outdoor mass will be held at noon Sunday at the Original Mine Yard.
You can find more information about the An Ri Ra festival at this website: https://www.mtgaelic.org/anrira