Leprechaun Days: Americana festival highlights new events
Cub Foods is moving its annual Leprechaun Days event from its parking lot to Central Park on July 27. Photo by Jessica Harper
Rosemount Leprechaun Days novel offerings include music, sports, much more
by Tad Johnson
Thisweek Newspapers
Rosemount Leprechaun Days, the community’s annual 10-day-long summer festival, has thrived in recent years due in large part to local individuals and groups organizing new events to bring added interest and excitement.
Headlining the list of new events is the Rosemount Area Arts Council’s three-day Bluegrass Americana Festival from July 23-25.
The festival is being funded in large part through a Minnesota Regional Arts Council grant.
The weekend kicks off July 23 with By the Light of the Moon string band providing the music for a square dance at Central Park. The event also includes Irish and Appalachian clogging demonstrations.
The fun continues on Saturday with the Bluegrass Festival and Craft Fair at Central Park.
The day will be filled with music, food and arts.
The band lineup includes plenty of local flavor with Rosemount resident Craig Evans’ band Singleton Street and Sawtooth, which includes three brothers of Rosemount’s Brizter family.
Singleton Street has recorded two CDs and plays a lively blend of bluegrass and gospel music.
The brothers are Clint on guitar and lead vocals, Luke on fiddle and harmony vocals, and Shane, the band’s emcee, on banjo.
Also playing will be the New North String Band and Tangled Roots.
Tangled Roots has played all over the Midwest in the past five years. The band covers songs from the likes of Bill Monroe, Elvis Presley, Bruce Hornsby and John Prine.
The festival will wrap up Sunday with a gospel sing reflecting a Shape Note repertoire – a kind of singing early American settlers used – and orchestral concert in Central Park.
Various local church singing groups will raise their voices prior to a show by the Medalist Concert Band, which will play classical orchestral music.
The Americana festival also is giving local residents a chance to show their artistic side through its Photo Contest and Exhibit on July 31 at the Steeple Center (former St. Joseph Church).
People can enter their original photography by the July 15 deadline. During the event people may cast ballots for their favorite pictures.
It will be the first event organized by a community group held in the Steeple Center, which will have a grand opening ribbon cutting event Friday, July 23, from 5-6 p.m.
The Steeple Center also will have an open house from 5-7 p.m. Friday, July 30.
The city recently remodeled the former church for its projected use as a place for plays, cultural events, weddings, meetings and much more.
Sporting life
Sports fanatics of all types will have a ball with the addition of several events.
Primary among the offerings are an Exhibition Hurling Match by the Twin Cities Robert Emmets Hurling Club on Saturday, July 31, after the Grand Day Parade.
The demonstration of the 3,000-year-old Gaelic game is being organized by the Minnesota Irish Cultural Center.
Hurling is mostly like field hockey, but also has elements of lacrosse, baseball, soccer and hockey. The players advance hurleys – about the size of a baseball – using spoon-shaped silotars (sticks) down a field to score goals (both soccer size). Three points are awarded per goal and one point for going over a cross bar.
Spectators can enjoy watching a boys soccer 3-on-3 Jamboree on July 30 at Diamond Path Elementary School fields.
Students from Rosemount Elementary School will offer a show of a sporting variety with a Double Dutch Jump-Rope Exhibition on July 27.
If playing is more your style, there are tournaments for whiffle ball (July 25), boys basketball (grades 5-12, July 26 and 28), and golf (July 31).
During the Whiffle Ball Tournament, plastic-bat-swinging Joe Mauer-wannabes of all ages can take their hacks during a fundraising event for Rosemount High School Baseball.
To register for the 3-on-3 Boys Basketball Tournament go online at district196.org/rhs/facultyadd.cfm?id=556.
Rosemount High School DECA and the city are organizing an 18-hole best ball Golf Tournament to benefit 360 Communities after the parade. With a dinner, golfers will pay $60 per person.
For children who like activity of another kind, the Rosemount American Legion will host its first Kids Dance on July 26. Families are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items and new socks to donate for charity.
The schedule is packed with new music events.
Willow Brae, a Celtic musician, will perform a free concert July 24 at the Robert Trail Library and tickets are required by calling ahead of time.
The Irish band Legacy, which features Rosemount resident Kevin Carroll on percussion, will perform on July 29 and be followed by some very talented teen bands at the Central Park Amphitheater.
Carbone’s Pizza & Pub will host Another Week of Rock from July 28-31 with the following events: Ken Wanovich, Danny Setzler, DJ Mike of Complete Music and Mojo Monk.
Event changes
Some changes are being planned for a few of the festival’s traditional events.
The Cub Foods Family Fun Day has changed its name and venue. The Afternoon in the Park with Cub and Friends will move to Central Park on July 27.
The event will include plenty of kids’ games, jumper houses and costumed characters.
There is a new organizer for the Bathtub Races at Central Park. This year, Lighthouse Christian Church will run the fundraiser that will give proceeds for Water4Kids.
Teams of three can enter in three divisions – youth, adult and business – as they navigate an obstacle course while spectators toss balloons in their direction. People should not bring their own balloons.
That is not the only event Lighthouse is organizing at Central Park.
The church will have a Community Worship Night on July 28 and Worship Service on Aug. 1.
Tad Johnson is at editor.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.
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