Posted by: thepinetree on 03/12/2015 07:47 AM
Updated by: thepinetree on 03/22/2015 09:44 AM
Expires: 01/01/2020 12:00 AM
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Cebrate Murphys Irish Day Saturday, March 21
Murphys, CA...Murphys Irish Day, an annual event that always attracts thousands of people from throughout northern California, will be presented by the Murphys Business Association on Saturday March 21. The celebration pays tribute to the town’s Celtic heritage and is always held on the third Saturday in March in honor of the patron saint of Ireland. The day will begin with a hearty pancake breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. at the Congregational Church on the corner of Church and Algiers Streets. The menu includes ham, eggs, pancakes, juice and coffee. The price is $7 for adults and $4 for children under 10. To-go orders will be available...
The Main St. festivities will start at 10 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m. There is no admission charge.
Some 100 vendors, including many that are new to the event, will be set up along Main St. and will offer fine arts and crafts, home-baked delicacies, Irish themed souvenirs and many tasty things to eat and drink.
A wide variety of foods, including corned beef sandwiches, Greek gyros, corn dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, deep-fried vegetables, burritos, hamburgers, chili and soup will be available when hunger sets in. Beverages on sale will include fresh lemonade, Irish coffee, and beer. The Calaveras Winegrape Alliance will be selling a variety of fine local wines.
In addition, all the restaurants, tasting rooms and shops on Main St. will be open to explore and appreciate.
Live Entertainment
Live entertainment with a decidedly Irish theme will be presented throughout the day on two stages and along Main Street. Bagpipe music by the White Hackle Pipe & Drums will fill the air. The Tommyknocker Cloggers will set everyone’s feet a tapping. Among the other performing groups will be Sequoia, the Grover Anderson Band, Sammi Leverone, Samba Breeze, Plan B, and Celtic fiddler Michael Mullen
There will be a petting zoo to entertain the young folk.
Parade
At 11 a.m., led by the White Hackle Pipe Band, the Murphys Irish Day Parade will make its way down Main St.
The Cub Scouts, as is tradition, will be the color guard and lead the parade. Members of the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and preschoolers will be among the other groups representing the young people of the area. There will be equestrian units including the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Posse and the Gold Country Horsemen’s Association.
Local organizations participating will include the Native Sons of the Golden West, with their giant California flag, and the Murphys Community Club.
Other entries will include Forrest Meadows, Ironstone Vineyards, Rail Town, Calaveras Big Trees, the Sheriff’s Department and the Murphys Fire District. There will also be a leprechaun or two.
There is a special attraction in the wings that is designed to rival the famous Rose Parade flyover.
Announcers Dave Bowman and Jim Bailey will be stationed along the parade route to describe each entry as it passes.
Win a Trip to Ireland
The luck of the Irish will take on special meaning for one happy couple when they are transported from a gold rush town with Irish heritage to the fabled land of shamrocks and leprechauns as grand prize winners of the Win a Trip to Ireland raffle. Specially created Murphys area vacation prize packages will be awarded to three runners-up.
Raffle tickets are five dollars each or five for $20. They are available through March 19 at the Calaveras Visitors Bureau, in Angels Camp, and many locations in Murphys. They also will be available along Main Street during Irish Day.
The winning tickets will be drawn near the end of the event. You need not be present to win.
Free Parking & Shuttle Service
Free parking will be available at Ironstone Vineyards on Six Mile Road. A free shuttle bus, provided by Ironstone and the Murphys Business Association, will run between Ironstone and the Arbors parking lot at Jones and Scott Streets. Shuttles will leave approximately every 20 minutes from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Weather permitting, paid parking will be available at Big Trees Rd. and Main St. and free parking will be available at the Black Bart Playhouse parking lot on Algiers St. after the parade has finished and cleared. Handicap Parking will be located in the Arbors parking lot at Jones and Scott Streets.
There will be no parking from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Main, Church, Algiers, Sheep Ranch, Scott, and Jones Sts. and Six Mile Road. When traveling to the event motorists should use Highway 4, and not Murphys Grade Road.
Main Street will be closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the day of the event.
For more information go to www.visitmurphys.com.
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