WHAT TO DO

Pull out your tartan vests and pour yourself a pint, St. Patrick’s Day is next week. To help get you in the mood, three Orange County-based Irish dance schools – all of which have produced regional, national and international champions – will bring a bit of Irish and Scottish culture to the stage at the 4th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival on Sunday, March 14 at the Orange County Market Place in Costa Mesa.

The event takes place at the weekend swap meet at the O. C. Fair & Event Center. The Festival runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is included in price of admission.
 
Each school will perform twice on the Westside Stage during the day long celebration, with each academy in distinctive colorful costumes showcasing their styles of jigs, reels, and soft and hard shoe dance numbers.
 
Kicking off the dance numbers will be students from the Lake Forest Claddagh School of Irish Dancing at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The Claddagh School has eight schools throughout Southern California and one in Salt Lake City.
 
The Lake Forest studio is under the direction of championship dancer Katie Darlington.
 
Next on stage will be students from the Aniar Academy of Irish Dance of Laguna Niguel with shows at 12:30 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.
 
Theresa Thomas LaBlanc and Christine Byrne, co-directors of the Aniar Academy, are credited with bringing Irish dance to South Orange County. Established in 1995, the school has grown to over 150 students and boasts numerous championship dancers. They will be sending dancers to the World Championships in Scotland this April.
 
Butler-Fearon O’Connor School of Irish Dance of Mission Viejo will round out the Festival dancing with shows at 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Considered one of the top Irish dance schools in the world, it was founded in 2003 as a result of a merge between the world-famous Butler-Fearon School of Canada and California, and the O’Connor-Kennedy School in California.

ocmarketplace.com or 949.723.6660.