Annual Queens Irish Heritage Festival returns to NYC this month

The Queens Irish Heritage Festival, presented by the New York Irish Center and co-presented by McManus Irish Dance, will be hosted at Gantry Plaza State Park, with the iconic Manhattan skyline as a backdrop.

This free, outdoor event boasts three hours of continuous music and dance for people of all ages from 2 pm to 5 pm on Saturday, June 29.

Among the featured performers for this year’s Queens Irish Heritage Festival are husband and wife folk duo Bob and Bronagh Batch; folk balladeer Allen Gogarty; Irish fiddler and step dancer Bernadette Fee; thrilling young vocalist Lowri Clancy Davies; singer-songwriter Niamh Hyland, violin virtuoso Gregory Harrington, and the Dublin-born and New York-based folksinger Kevin McCormack.

Gleefully exuberant folk dance and music performances will be courtesy of McManus Irish Dance and NY Studio of Irish Dance.

The picnic-style event takes place at Gantry Plaza State Park, 4-09 47th Road in Long Island City. Food trucks are adjacent to the performance area. The closest subway is the 7 train, Vernon Jackson stop, just seven minutes and one stop from Grand Central Station.

To pre-register and be eligible for a grand raffle prize of a pair of free tickets to six prime cultural events during the New York Irish Center’s 20th anniversary season beginning this fall, visit NewYorkIrishCenter.org.

Sponsored by Amazon and Tourism Ireland, the Queens Irish Heritage Festival is presented under the auspices of New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. 

About the New York Irish Center

When it was founded in 2004 by the late Father Colm Campbell and Paddy Reilly, the New York Irish Center was primarily an Irish immigrant service organization and community center.

Now, NYIC produces a mixture of social enrichment and cultural programs, and is a favorite gateway into the busy New York cultural scene for numerous performers from the island of Ireland.

From its 80-seat storefront theater, The Reilly Room, over 100 cultural programs are presented every year, including comedy, music, theater, film, and book events.

Among its community enrichment programs are its Wednesday Lunch Club -- one of the most popular active retirement gatherings in New York City -- and “The Story Continues," NYIC’s quarterly LGBTQ+ networking event, featuring prominent voices from the community and a safe space for conversation and advocacy.

NYIC also houses Solace House, a provider of free, confidential suicide prevention counseling for one-on-one, group, or family mental health support. Solace House’s services are available for anyone seeking help. George C. Heslin took over as executive director in the fall of 2020.

Located at 1040 Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, the New York Irish Center is just seven minutes and one stop on the 7 train from Grand Central Station.

For more info and queries call 718-482-0909 or e-mail info@NewYorkIrishCenter.org