"St. Patrick's Day Party" at O'Donoghue's Irish Pub
SCOTTSDALE – Arizona's authentic Irish Pub, O'Donoghue's, is celebrating the St. Patrick's Day holiday by hosting a special "St. Patrick's Day Party" event on Tuesday, March 17. O'Donoghue's is located at 20469 N. Hayden Road on the southeast corner of Hayden Road and Thompson Peak Parkway, just minutes north of the 101 Freeway. A $10 cover charge will start at noon.
According to Paul Diskin, O'Donoghue's general manager and partner, the party begins at 8 a.m. with a traditional Irish breakfast consisting of sausages, crispy rashers (Irish bacon), black and white pudding, eggs, grilled tomato, traditional Irish chips and baked beans served with bread and butter.
"Come see how St. Patrick's Day is really celebrated in Ireland," Diskin said. "We'll be serving a special limited menu of Irish pub fare throughout the day in the restaurant, an Irish buffet in the outside tent, and drink specials, including Guinness, Harp and Smithwicks beer."
O'Donoghue's is one of only a few authentic Irish pubs in Arizona that pours the perfect pint of Guinness beer as recommended by the brewery in Ireland. The restaurant houses a nitrogen generator that yields 75 percent nitrogen and 25 percent carbon dioxide, resulting in a much smoother, richer taste. Most bars in Arizona push mostly carbon dioxide. "There really is an art to pouring the perfect pint of Guinness," Diskin said. "Once you taste it, you'll realize what you've been missing. It's like the angels dancing on your tongue."
As in previous years, O'Donoghue's has lined up authentic Irish entertainment to keep the party festive. Irish dancers will perform from 8 – 10 a.m. and again from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.; The Rakes will perform from 2 – 5 p.m.; Meadowlark will perform from 6 – 9 p.m.; and The Brazen Heads will energize the party from 9 p.m. to midnight. O'Donoghue's Irish Restaurant & Pub is fondly named after O'Donoghue's Pub – still found today on Merrion Row in Dublin. For more information, call O'Donoghue's Irish Pub at (480) 585-6329 or visit www.scottsdaleirishpub.com
Chances to win $20,000 to highlight Caring Corps event
By Curtis Riggs| March 11, 2009
Saturday, March 21CAREFREE – There will be four chances to win $20,000 plus an Elvis sighting at the Foothills Caring Corps’ annual festival in Carefree’s Gas Lamp District on Saturday, March 21.
The Taste of the Foothills sampling event will set the tone for the Caring Corps annual fundraiser, which will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. in and near the Carefree Town Center next Saturday. Ten area restaurants will be serving up their finest at the tasting event.
Chances to win the four $5,000 ($20,000) cash prizes will also be available. Visit www.foothillscaringcorps.com or call 480-488-1105 for infor-mation.
Area artists and designers will be at Easy Street shops to help give the event a strolling atmosphere. Elvis impersonator Charlie Franks will provide the entertainment.
DETOUR: Sejong and Gil Shaham
Scottsdale – Internation-ally acclaimed violinist Gil Shaham returns to Scottsdale for this very special performance with Sejong, the unique, conductor-less string ensemble renowned for its cohesiveness, beautiful sound and refreshing musical style. One of today’s most virtuosic and engaging classical artists, Shaham is sought after through-out the world for concerto appearances with leading orchestras and conductors, as well as for recital and ensemble appearances on the great concert stages and at the most prestigious festivals. Since its inception in 1995, the New York-based Sejong has performed on major stages throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Envisioned as a “cultural ambassador” by Artistic Director Hyo Kang, a faculty member of The Juilliard School and Yale University, Sejong brings together 14 individually distinguished solo and chamber musicians hailing from eight different nations.
Celebrating the 200th anni-versaries of Haydn and Mendel-ssohn, this special program will feature Haydn’s Violin Concerto in G and Violin Concerto in C as well as Mendelssohn’s Octet.
Sejong and Gil Shaham will appear at 8 p.m. Friday, April 3 at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, Scottsdale. Single ticket: $58.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Box Office: 480- 994-2787 or online www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org E-mail: [email protected]. Presented with support from Linda and Sherman Saperstein.
Deadline for Fiesta Days Parade nearing
By Curtis Riggs| March 11, 2009
Annual event set for April 4
CAVE CREEK – Applications for the April 4 Fiesta Days Parade are due by Saturday, March 14. Parade organizers state that late entries will be sent back.
A hundred applications for the 31st annual parade have already been received, said Fiesta Days Parade Committee Chairwoman Patty Coyle.
Typically there are just over 100 entries in the parade. Last year there were 84. The parade, which has the Cowboys Around the World theme this year, will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 4. The staging for the parade will begin at Cave Creek Road and Skyline Drive at 7 a.m.
The route of the parade will be from Skyline Drive east to Stagecoach Village this year. The parade will be in the eastbound lanes of Cave Creek Road.
Six-time bareback riding champ Bruce Ford, grand marshal of this year’s parade, will hold a bareback riding clinic at Cave Creek Memorial arena from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1.
To enter the parade, or for information, call Coyle at 602-423-2225 or Joyce Lunsford at 602-405-8773.
