2009 Ethnics Festival - Irish Angle
The 2009 Ethnic Enrichment Festival takes place on the weekend of 21-23 August, 2009 as usual at Swope Park.
While Ireland is one of the 66 countries and ethnic groups represented, there isn’t very much Irish about that representation.
I’m seeing nothing Irish listed in the entertainment schedule, while for Ireland in the food section you have:
Hand-squeezed Lemonade; Turkey Legs; Bangers on a Bun; Loaded Baked Potato.
We’ve been here before of course, but it should be said again. Shouldn’t representation of Ireland at an ethnic festival, or any festival for that matter, try to actually represent Ireland?
There’s a lot of nonsense spoken about Irish food in KC. Last year on the radio I heard an organiser of a major Irish event in Kansas City laughingly dismiss Irish food as not being very good in answer to why instead the event offered Italian sausages, funnel cakes, corn dogs, pizza, Scotch eggs, nachos, and Mac ‘n’ Cheese.
How hard is it to offer a public interested in things Irish food such as potato cakes, boxty, coddle, champ, colcannon, black pudding, white pudding, soda farls, soda bread, brown bread, Irish stew, brack? To even try? Or make more of an effort and try dillisk, carrageen, crubeens, or spiceburgers even. I could go on.
It would be like hiring American bands to play American music while for some reason waving an Irish flag. It’s all fun and games, and might go down well at a festival, but at best is there any point? Have a look at the menus on offer from the other countries. The idea of the festival after all is to “foster understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity in the greater Kansas City area”.
Ireland is booth number #42. Our Celtic cousins of Wales and Scotland both have events listed on the entertainment schedule.
Bangers
For the hundredth time, sausages in Ireland are NOT called bangers.
Dates, Times
The Ethnics Festival is on:
Friday, 21 August 2009 - 6pm to 10pm
Saturday, 22 August 2009 - Noon to 10pm
Sunday, 23 August 2009 - Noon to 6pm
Admission
Adult admission is $3.00. Children 12 and under are admitted FREE with adult. Parking is Free.
Website
See www.eeckc.org for more information.
More Food & Drink on Irish KC:
• Eating Turkey in Ireland and America
• A Bad Pint
• A Vegan Irish Recipe
• Rhubarb
• Eggs: It Never Happened in America
• Readapting to the Food in Ireland
• Some Thoughts on Tea
Eolaí gan Fhéile:
Eolai, you and I have been in complete agreement on this for about as long as I’ve known you. Even as an American with only half my family tree having roots in the Emerald Isle have been known to cringe at the faux “Irishness” on display at these events.
Why does it continue? Why hasn’t ANYONE stepped up and used these festivals to display the cultures, traditions and, yes, even the food of Ireland? Because it’s easier to cop out, hang out a four-leaf “shamrock” (yikes), dust off that green plastic bowler and drink yourself stupid.
But I suppose I shouldn’t complain. Correcting such actions and attempting to educate my fellow Americans on what they’re getting so wrong, and hopefully turning them on to the real value of being of Irish descent, is what keeps me in business.
Slan.
Way back when the ethnic festival had real Irish representation, Irish Brown Bread, and Irish dancers, through the AOH and others. I have lost touch with the festival, and do not know what happened.
Thanks for the ‘bangers’ comment, it seems trendy to include bangers as an Irish term, I guess if you give it 5 more years, no one will remember that ‘bangers’ are not Irish….
I think calling it faux Irishness is giving it too much credit. Lemonade, turkey legs, loaded baked potato, and putting a sausage on a bun? That sounds plain old American to me.
It also seems to me the festival isn’t sure if it’s a ethnic festival (representing different ethnicities) or an International Festival (representing different countries). Irish-American isn’t the same as Irish (etc). Although, with the possible exception of the misnamed sausage, that group of foods isn’t either of those.
I have been to the festival several times and I had a grand time. Every thing was lovely, The AOH actually helped me out a few years back I met them at the Annual Ethnic Erichment festival and they helped myself and my family make a living for themselves. They founda job for me and suggested schools for the kids as well….I was out there last year and the front on the booth reminds of a pub back home…
I saw a fella there at the parade of nations at the festival. I have to apologize for catchin up here buts its been a few..Any way back to me story. The big fella got up on stage representing Ireland. I am not sure what his name was he was speaking Gaelic(Irish) he ran up there with his hurley stick in air. I think he plays for a local club.All in all it was good I as scared that the big fella was going to take the place down with hurley in hand and running about the place !!!!