2012 Milwaukee Irish Fest
Cultural offerings at the 2012 Milwaukee Irish Fest included exhibits of The Cuimhneamh an Chlair – an oral history project from County Clare, the Bill Monroe Traveling exhibit, Irish Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers, The Fighting Irish: Irish American Boxers, and The Ulster Scots American Presidents.
Entertainers at the festival included McPeake, Sprag Session, Open Arts Community Choir, Jackie Daly and Matt Cranitch, Gaelic Storm, Fuchsia Band, Makem and Spain Brothers, The High Kings, Scythian, Slide, Skerryvore, Enter the Haggis, Liz Carroll, Coig, Wild Colonial Bhoys, An Dro, Kennedy’s Kitchen, and Mossy Moran. Dancers included the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance, Glencastle Irish Dancers, Rince Nia Academy of Irish Dance, Cashel Dennehy School of Irish Dance, Kinsella Academy of Irish Dance, Gillan School of Highland Dance, Caledonian Scottish Dancers, and McMenamin Irish Dance Academy.
The music showcase in 2012 was Bluegrass, and artists included Del McCoury, Punch Brothers, The Henry Girls with the Fox Hunt, Brock McGuire Band, Tim O’Brien and Bryan Sutton, Bruce Molsky, Cornmeal, April Verch Band, Gerry O’Connor, Henhouse Prowlers, Aoife O’Donovan, Circle City Bluegrass Band, We Banjo 3, and High Roads and Railroads (Teada with the Ebony Hillbillies).
A special performance was also made by the Santa Monica Hillbillies (aka Gaelic Storm).