festival people

My only regret is that we missed seeing the leprechaun.

Despite having told my mom earlier that I’m not really festival people, on Saturday afternoon, Jen and I wound up at the Irish Festival at Fairpark. Because why not? We like kilts and Guiness and pirates, and we didn’t have any other big plans for the afternoon. And yeah, there were pirates. While we were standing on the sidelines watching Battlefield Band (Jen happened to know the band from her early years cavorting in New York), I turned to Jen and whispered,

“I got you a pirate.”

Jen looked up just in time to see an elaborately costumed swashbuckler saunter by and give us the eye. You know, somehow, it’s not nearly so lecherous being mentally undressed by a guy wearing stockings and breeches. It’s just comical. Not always true of the un-costumed menfolk, though. There’s something about celebrating one’s Irish heritage that brings out the flirt in a man. Jen and I hadn’t even paid our entrance fee before a stranger was taking our picture. And then, the moment we were inside the gates, we got a

“Heeeeey. How’re y’all doin’?”

It was Joey Tribbiani with a drawl. A man in his sixties picked up on Jen by telling her she looked like a girl he went to high school with – “a real looker.”

Between the serving wenches with their shelves of breast, the angst-ridden emo bagpipers and the un-costumed masses, the people watching was exceptional. And if you haven’t before seen a man in a utilikilt and motorcycle boots, it’s time you explored this brave new world of hot. Drooool. Tattoos required.

27 comments to festival people

  • Sounds like I am better off sticking with finding the leprechaun. Each year on St. Patrick Day, I tell my boys I caught the leprechaun and stole his gold. Then I give them an outlandish gift, something I had been saying “no” to all year and would never typically spend money on. It’s always so fun to see their look of suprise…

    Julie for WOW!

  • T in NH

    OK, so now I’m rethinking my decline of hitting a local St. Pat’s festival this coming weekend. I hadn’t considered the people-watching factor…..

  • You gotta love the Irish. When I went on a trip there, one of our cute, elderly horse-drawn-carriage drivers told my girlfriend she had, “a lovely head o’ hair.” What could be more charming than that?!

  • Everything is better when leprachauns are involved. I mean, really.

  • I feel much better about my Irish roots now that I know we have pirates! Bring on St. Patrick’s day :)

  • We were wanting to go to this but had to be in Htown. I figured, what group of people could be more jovial than a bunch of Irish? Don’t forget to hit up the block party at Lower Greenville (Stan’s area) Saturday the 15th. Or of course the Dash Down Greenville and subsequent parade at Two Rows that morning.

  • Sue K

    No kilts and two n’s in Guinness = Irish. You lost me on the pirates thing though. What tha heck is up with Texas man?

    This is why I avoid St Pats altogether.

    - Redheaded girl from NY.

  • Julie

    The ‘commercial’ on the utilikilt homepage is pretty darn funny! And really, add hot men and tattoos to anything and that’s pretty tasty. =)

  • That… sounds unbelievably entertaining.

  • i think i just want to go straight to Ireland!

    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Oh My Goodness! That utilikilt is HILARIOUS! Unfortunately, I’ve dated some leprechauns. You say you missed them? You didn’t miss much!

  • tgov

    I loves me some utilikilt. And, being irish, I DO know what is under there… heh.

  • That video is PRICELESS! A real man can pull off anything in style, including a skirt.

    And I’l admit, I used to flirt with the pirates in our hometown parade. They were much more entertaining drunks than the clowns.

  • Sassy Britches

    The utilikilt is hawt. Especially so on a man with an accent. Raaarr.

  • g

    Whoa… thanks for the utilikilts link– some funny stuff on there! Made my day.

  • I echo your endorsement of utilikilts and tatts…yummy!

  • Heather, glad you made it to the North Texas Irish Festival. It was great to finally meet you! It’s the best festival in Dallas. Come volunteer next year! Free BEER, Free T-shirt, Free Admission…need I say more. Email me if you are dying to sell CDs and I’ll add you to the 2009 list.

    PS. My husband said that there needs to be a few new rules: no older women with the cleavage cut to low, no “girls” getting body parts signed by Irish-rock band members and I can’t remember the 3rd. ;-)

  • Anonymous

    Why were people wearing kilts at an Irish festival? Not that the Irish have anything particular against the Scots, especially as we recently beat them in the six nations, but perhaps the festival should be renamed.

  • Alyssa

    I love a man in a kilt!

  • Sue K

    N, from your own source – ..” In present day Ireland the kilt is still seen very much as being primarily Scottish, and the current crop of county and district tartans are largely unknown in Ireland and indeed difficult to obtain, having been designed and marketed primarily with the Irish-American market in mind. As they have neither been designed or manufactured in Ireland itself it is questionable as to whether they can be strictly described as Irish.”

    Kilts ain’t Irish. Only the bagpipes at cop funerals on the east coast wear them really.

    Not saying the guys don’t have the legs for them, now.

  • LOLA

    Love the link you posted!

    Good girls ask and bad girls find out for themselves! lol love it

  • Kilts may or may not be Irish, but Pirates definitely are not Irish. I surely don’t get that one!

    Maybe if the pirate was wearing an Irish sweater…

  • i’m 1/2 irish. woot woot.

    hey i’ll take a pirate if he looks like johnny dep.

    and well, joey tribiani is cute too!

  • That Joey pick up line has got to be the best pick up line EVER!

    It even works when women use it on men!

    *blushes*

  • Meredith

    Utilikilt sighting…two in 1 week! In Alaska!! Out last night to an “irish” pub. Guy at the door checking ID. I had to ask “Is that a utilikilt?” “Why yes, it is”. And I replied “Funniest 4 hours of my life, checking out that webpage”. And now I get to laugh out loud, whenever I see a utilikilt. Thanks Fish!