St. Patrick's Day is almost upon us, and what better place to celebrate an Irish holiday than at a genuine Irish restaurant? Raglan Road at Downtown Disney is holding its "Mighty St. Patrick's Festival" from March 14 to 17 to give you plenty of time to join in the fun. Better yet, there's a special festival kick-off March 8 to 10.
The Willis Clan, a family of Irish artists and musicians, will showcase their musical and dance talents on the 8th, 9th, and 10. The festivities resume on the 14th with rollicking music and dance all the way through St. Patrick's Day.
Performers appearing between the 14th and the 17th include the Willis Clan, Girsa, Three Dollar Band, Johnny & Justin, the Farrell Brothers, and the restaurant's popular house band, Creel. On Saturday and Sunday, Raglan Road welcomes Elevation, the world famous U2 tribute band.
You'll also see the Raglan Road dancers putting on their skillful performances daily. Want to try your hand at Irish dance? Ronan McCormack of the original Riverdance cast will be leading Irish dance workshops for the whole family from Friday through Sunday. Click the video toward the bottom of this article to hear from him.
You can see some scenes of the entertainers in the slideshow at the top of this article.
Learn more about Irish music at workshops by Declan Masterson, the distinguished Dublin-born multi-instrumentalist. Masterson was the recent Riverdance touring musical director.
If that's not enough for you, how about Ceili (kay-lee) traditional music and structured set-dancing on Saturday. Bring your comfortable shoes, as guests are invited to participate. Sunday brings The Electric Ceili, with over 50 musicians and dancers converging on the Waterfront Stage.
You'll enjoy festivities at the restaurant surrounding Pleasure Island area, including stilt walkers, face painting, competitions, and giveaways. This is Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World, so of course it's a family-friendly event, with plenty for the kids to enjoy.
Bring your appetite because Raglan Road will be serving its lunch, dinner, and bar menus Thursday through Saturday. On Sunday, you can indulge in the traditional holiday meal of loin of bacon and cabbage all day.
Saturday and Sunday offer first-come, first-served seating, and Saturday will have a cover charge of $5 for guests 18 years and older in the restaurant and pub, with a $10 cover charge on Sunday. You can make reservations on March 14 and 15 by calling 407-938-0300.
For a quicker bite, enjoy fish and chips or battered sausages and top off your sweet tooth with a deep fried candy bar ar Cookie's of Dublin, which offers counter service, or try one of the other offerings at Pleasure Island.
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