CELTIC MUSIC, CULTURE A HIT AT WEEKEND'S IRISH FESTIVAL.Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer ENCINO - What's the best thing about being Irish? ``I like being Irish because of my blue eyes Blue eyes are eyes that have blue irises (see eye color), and may also refer to:
``When he was a baby, I used to sing 'When Irish eyes Irish Eyes is the fifth of the Nuala Anne McGrail series of mystery novels by Roman Catholic priest and author Father Andrew M. Greeley. are smiling,' because he has these sparkling, twinkly Irish eyes,'' added his mother, Karen Grubert, 48. ``There's a lot of Irish laughter in them.'' The Gruberts were among thousands of people at the 28th annual Great American Irish Fair & Music Festival in Woodley Park on Saturday. The festival continues today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and fair officials estimate a total of 20,000 people will attend over the weekend. Daughter Mary Kathleen Grubert, 13, was there to compete in the Irish step-dancing competition, which she has studied for six years. Clad in elaborately embroidered em·broi·der v. em·broi·dered, em·broi·der·ing, em·broi·ders v.tr. 1. To ornament with needlework: embroider a pillow cover. 2. and embellished dresses with stiff, paneled skirts that can cost as much as $2,000 each, and wearing wiglets of springy spring·y adj. spring·i·er, spring·i·est 1. Marked by resilience; elastic. 2. Abounding in freshwater springs. spring curls, the dancers hold their upper bodies and arms completely still while their feet fly through the complicated steps. ``I like that you get a workout out of it,'' said the tall teen, who also plays basketball. Whether you're Irish or not, there are plenty of things to see and do at the fair. On Saturday, people lined up for corned beef sandwiches, Irish stew in bread bowls and fish and chips fish and chips pl.n. Fried fillets of fish and French-fried potatoes. Noun 1. fish and chips - fried fish and french-fried potatoes dish - a particular item of prepared food; "she prepared a special dish for dinner" , as well as Guinness beer. Groups such as The Fenians, the Young Dubliners and the Whooligans played a variety of music. Vendors sold clothing and jewelry decorated with elaborate, swirling, geometric Celtic designs, CDs and other goods imported from Ireland, custom-made toe rings and even wooden swords. Perhaps the most unusual item in Elisandrya de Sade's booth among the delicate glass bottles, incense and sage smudge sticks was the little bottle of ``Make The Opposing Lawyer Stupid Oil.'' ``I bring my family and I make family; we have a million friends here,'' the Long Beach vendor said. ``I am a Gypsy, I am Basque. So for me, this is normal.'' ``I think what it does is put the romance back into reality,'' de Sade, 44, said of fairs like the Irish Fair. ``The men were more gallant, the women were more ladylike la·dy·like adj. 1. Characteristic of a lady; well-bred. 2. Appropriate for or becoming to a lady. See Synonyms at female. 3. Unduly sensitive to matters of propriety or decorum. 4. , they were more in tune with the things that matter.'' Fiona Ogeborn, 6, her sister, Camilla, 11, and their friend, Devlin Lynch, 12, all of Los Angeles and all of them Irish, gave the fair high marks. ``You learn stuff about your culture that you don't really learn about that often,'' said Devlin. But other cultures were represented as well. You could have an Irish tea leaf reading or your tarot tarot Sets of cards used in fortune-telling and in certain card games. The origins of tarot cards are obscure; cards approximating their present form first appeared in Italy and France in the late 14th century. cards read, and in addition to watching sheepherding dogs show off their skills, you could ride on a giant wooden rocking horse or listen to the skirl skirl v. skirled, skirl·ing, skirls v.intr. To produce a high, shrill, wailing tone. Used of bagpipes. v.tr. To play (a piece) on bagpipes. n. 1. of bagpipes bagpipes Noun, pl a musical wind instrument in which sounds are produced in reed pipes by air from an inflated bag bagpipes npl → gaita sg bagpipes . What are Scottish bagpipes doing at an Irish festival? ``Because they couldn't find an Irish pipe band?'' offered Mike Reynolds, 49, of Camarillo, with the Pacific Coast Highlander Pipe Band. ``We are the Celtic cousins to the Irish.'' In addition to costumed Civil War reenactors from the 69th New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Irish Brigade, Rik Fox, 47, of Valley Village was there with his group of Polish Winged Hussars, a fighting group from 1569 to 1696. He formed his group in 2000, tired of seeing Poland's history neglected at other fairs. Lisa M. Sodders, (818) 713-3663 lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos, map Photo: (1 -- 2) Jim Hoerricks demonstrates the caber toss, above, Saturday at the Irish Fair in Woodley Park. Top, an Irish sheepdog sheepdog: see working dog. sheepdog In general, any dog breed developed to herd sheep; specifically, the border collie. Most sheepdog breeds stand about 2 ft (60 cm) and weigh over 50 lbs (23 kg). shows off his skills at sheepherding. The festival continues today with food, music and Irish culture. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News Map: Irish Fair Daily News |
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