KINGSTON—The performance troupe from Celtic Heels School of Irish Dance has practiced long and hard and is getting set to dazzle the crowd at the annual Hooley on the Hudson on September 3, 2023, at T.R. Gallo Park on the Rondout Creek in Downtown Kingston.
This marks the all-day festival’s 22nd year as an end-of-summer celebration of all things Irish. Hosted by the city of Kingston and the Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 1, Ulster County, the Hooley on the Hudson typically draws close to 20,000 visitors to the Downtown Business District on the Sunday before Labor Day. It begins with the Parade of Dignitaries at 11:00 a.m. and showcases live entertainment on three stages through 9:00 p.m.
“We’ve been at the Hooley since its inception,” said Celtic Heels owner and choreographer Joan McGrenaghan. “We get a lot of invitations to perform throughout the year, but this is one of our favorites. We love the Hooley because the members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians are all so warm, wonderful and inviting.
“It’s an outdoor event and is wonderful for families because you don’t have to pay to get in, and it’s top-shelf, ongoing entertainment, so you can bring the whole family and not spend a fortune,” she added.
Her seven dancers, ranging from high school to college students, will be lacing up their ghillies and performing on the Bill Yosh stage at 2:00 p.m. and Trad stage at 4:00 p.m. Among the special routines to be performed is the “Shamrock and Heather,” a blend of Irish jig and Scottish Highland dance, an ode to McGrenaghan’s Irish-Scottish roots.
“We have a huge repertoire, so each of the performances will be different,” said McGrenaghan, whose school is in Red Hook. “Ninety-five percent of what you’ll see are routines that have originated in my brain. Creating it from my heart, bringing it into the classroom and seeing it mastered by my students and performed on stage is one of my great joys. I love to share that passion with children and adults of every age and nationality.”
Other entertainers scheduled to appear include the T McCann Band; the all-female group Triskele; singer Andy Cooney; Celtic music band McGroovin’’; the Little Creek Band; contemporary jam band Kilashandra; Irish folk band Sheridan Rúitín; bagpiper Andrew Forbes; musician Isaac Alderson; cellist Leah Rankin; singer and songwriter Jefferson Hamer; musician Joseph Sobol; vocalist and fiddler Liz Hanley; guitarist Matt Stapleton; fiddler Matthew Christian; folk singer Pamela Jean Agaloos; musician Max Carmichael and the Farrell School of Irish Dance.
Children’s activities will be provided by Play Haven in the designated family rest and play area, and numerous food and craft vendors will be selling their products onsite.
Longtime sponsors like Frank Guido, owner of the Guido Hospitality Group, said the event is a great community gathering that people look forward to each year.
“We purchased the Mariner’s Harbor building on Broadway in 2001, and since then, we have partnered with the Ancient Order of Hibernians for the annual Hooley on the Hudson,” he said. “We want to thank them for everything they do for Kingston — not only for the Downtown district — but throughout the city. They bring in people from all over to enjoy this great festival. We’re proud to work with them each year.”
The event, which happens rain or shine, doesn’t only appeal to those of Irish descent, McGrenaghan noted.
“It draws people of all nationalities and from all parts of New York and the Northeast,” she said. “I think it gets better each year. The AOH has it down to a beautiful science.”
Parking venues for the Hooley on the Hudson include Kingston Plaza, Kingston Point and the Cornell Street municipal lot off Broadway in Midtown. Transportation to and from the event is free.
For more information on the Hooley visit http://ulsteraoh.com/
