Kells Irish Festival, Northwest’s Largest St Patrick’s Day Event

PORTLAND, Ore. – Thousands of locals and expats will partake in live music, traditional dancing and Irish food and libations at the 23rd annual Kells St. Patrick’s Day Festival, the Northwest’s largest St. Patrick’s Day event. This year’s festival will take place March 14 through 17 at four venues: inside the venerable Kells Irish Pub at 112 SW 2nd Ave; in a festival tent in Kells’ back parking lot; at the new Kells Brew Pub at 210 NW 21st Ave; and in a festival tent in the Brew Pub parking lot.

The festivities will kick off Friday night with live music in the pubs and a black tie smoker – a boxing event that pits Golden Glove boxers from Ireland against the best amateur pugilists of the Northwest – in the festival tent. Over the weekend, a number of family friendly activities will also be offered in the festival tent, including face painting, Irish Wolfhounds, cheese sampling and family tree research. Throughout the festival, attendees can enter a raffle for a trip to the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.

Live entertainment ranges from the traditional – with Irish dancing, bagpipers, and Celtic bands playing the fiddle, harmonica, guitar and Bodhran – to the popular, with the Neil Diamond tribute band Super Diamond headlining the Saturday night event. International sensation Shana Morrison, daughter of Van Morrison, will also play throughout the weekend. Shana is known for her unique and wide-ranging voice and genre bending style that blends pop, blues, rock, country, R&B and jazz.

Gerard and Lucille McAleese established Kells’ Portland location in 1990. In 1991, they began the tradition of a St. Patrick’s Day Festival that has grown into the largest Irish celebration in the Northwest. The McAleeses are some of Portland’s most respected philanthropists, and the festival is an official fundraiser for Providence Child Center.

In advance of the festival, the McAleeses “sweep the ceiling,” collecting folded dollars and quarters that have been hurled to the restaurant ceiling by the wait staff throughout the year. The amount of money collected is matched by the McAleeses and donated to Providence Child Center, which offers the only pediatric residential facility in the Northwest providing 24-hour skilled nursing care for children with profound disabilities and complex medical needs. This year’s annual Ceiling Sweep raised $6,823 for Providence Child Center and matched by Kells for a grand total of $13,646. Over 19 years, Kells has raised over $225,000 for Providence Child Center!

Kells Irish Festival Schedule of Events:

Friday, March 14
Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub, 112 SW 2nd Ave
Restaurant and Pub Hours: 11.30am to 2am
Live Music: Flight of Earls @7:30pm, Coming Up Threes @9:30pm, Grafton Street @11:30pm Pub Admission: $5 at 8pm

Festival Tent, 112 SW 2nd Ave (back parking lot)
Smoker (Boxing): Doors open 5pm, fights begin 7.30pm Admission: $20 at 5pm

Kells Brew Pub, 210 NW 21st Ave
Hours: 11:30am to 2am, minors welcome until 9pm
Live Music: Boys of Malin @8pm, Flight of Earls @10:30pm Admission: $5 at 9pm

Brew Pub Festival Tent, 210 NW 21st Ave (parking lot)
Hours: 4pm to 11pm, minors welcome until 9pm Admission: $5 at 9pm

Saturday, March 15
Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub, 112 SW 2nd Ave
Pub Hours: 8am to 2am, no minors
Restaurant Hours: 10am to 2am, minors welcome until 10pm
Banquet Room Hours: 11am to 9pm, minors welcome, full menu service
Cigar Room Hours: 8am to 2am, no minors
Live Music: Hanz Araki @2:30pm, Flight of Earls @5pm, Cul an Ti @7:30pm, Grafton Street @10pm, Coming Up Threes @12am
Pub Admission: $20 at 5pm

Festival Tent, 112 SW 2nd Ave (back parking lot)
Hours: 11am to 1am, minors until 5pm
Live Music: Murray Irish Dance @11:30am, Cul an Ti @12:15pm, Kells Pipers @2:15pm, Grafton Street @2:45pm, An Daire Irish Dance @4:45pm, Coming Up Threes @5:30pm, Kells Pipers @7:30pm, Shana Morrison @8pm, Super Diamond @10pm
Admission: $20 at 5pm; free T-shirt to first 500 guests

Kells Brew Pub, 210 NW 21st Ave
Hours: 9am to 2am, minors welcome until 6pm
Live Music: Molly Malone Irish Dancing @1pm, Boys of Malin @2pm, Comerford Irish Dance @4pm, Cul an Ti @4:30pm, Grafton Street @7pm, Kells Pipers @9pm, Flight of Earls @9:30pm
Admission: $10 at 6pm

Brew Pub Festival Tent, 210 NW 21st Ave (parking lot)
Hours: 12pm to 12am, minors welcome until 6pm Admission: $10 at 6pm

Sunday, March 16: Shamrock Run Day
Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub, 112 SW 2nd Ave
Pub Hours: 8am to 2am, no minors all day
Restaurant Hours: 10am to 12am, minors welcome until 10pm
Timbers Game: Live @12pm
Live Music: Full Schling @2:30pm, Grafton Street @5pm, Coming Up Threes @7:30pm, Flight of Earls @10pm
Pub Admission: $5 after 6pm

Festival Tent, 112 SW 2nd Ave (back parking lot)
Hours: 9am to 6pm, minors welcome
Live Music: Kells Pipers @10am, An Daire Irish Dance @10:30am, Coming Up Threes @11am, Molly Malone Irish Dancing @1pm, Kells Pipers @1:45pm, Shana Morrison @2pm, Murray Irish Dance @4pm
Admission: Free

Kells Brew Pub, 210 NW 21st Ave
Hours: 9am to 2am, minors welcome until 8pm
Timbers Game: Live @12pm
Live Music: Molly Malone Irish Dancing @11am, Kells Pipers @11:30am, Comerford Irish Dance @2pm, Flight of Earls @2:30pm, Cul an Ti @5pm, Kells Pipers @7:15pm, Grafton Street @7:45pm
Admission: Free

Brew Pub Festival Tent, 210 NW 21st Ave (parking lot)
Hours: 9am to 9pm, minors welcome until 9pm Admission: Free

Monday, March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub, 112 SW 2nd Ave
Pub Hours, 11am to 2am, no minors all day
Restaurant Hours: 11am to 12am, minors welcome until 10pm
Banquet Room Hours: 12pm to 9pm, minors welcome, full menu service Pub Admission: $20 after 2pm

Festival Tent, 112 SW 2nd Ave (back parking lot)
Hours: 11am to 1am, no minors all day
Live Music: Comerford Irish Dance @11:30am, Cul an Ti @12pm, Kells Pipers @2pm, Shana Morrison @2:30pm, An Daire Irish Dance @4:30pm, Flights of Earls @5pm, Kells Pipers @7pm, Shana Morrison @7:30pm, Kells Pipers @9:30pm, Coming Up Threes @9:45pm Admission: $20 after 2pm; free T-shirt to first 500 guests

Kells Brew Pub, 210 NW 21st Ave
Hours: 11am to 11pm, minors welcome until 8pm
Live Music: Molly Malone Irish Dancing @12pm, Boys from Malin @12:30pm, Murray Irish Dance @2:30pm, Cul an Ti @3pm, Kells Pipers @5pm, Grafton Street @5:30pm, Flight of Earls @8pm
Admission: $20 at 5pm

Brew Pub Festival Tent, 210 NW 21st Ave (parking lot)
Hours: 11am to 11pm, minors welcome until 8pm Admission: $20 at 5pm