Monday, August 21, 2023

Things to Do: Labor Day Weekend in Orlando

Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant will host the 11th annual Great Irish Hooley roots revival music festival Labor Day weekend beginning Friday, Sept. 1 and continuing through Monday, Sept. 4. 


Top Irish bands slated to perform will rock the house with traditional favorite jigs and ballads, Celt grass, folk mainstays, and soulful blues.  Taking the stage will be a first-rate lineup of luminaries from the world of traditional Irish music: 

  • Sina Theil – Multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and winner of several Irish music awards, Theil was named “Rising Star of 2022” at the American Celtic Listener Supported Music Awards. Don’t miss her!
  • Strings & Things – back by popular demand, this original Irish folk/trad four-piece band toured in London, throughout Ireland and has headlined Raglan Road’s Great Irish Hooley with their own original sound and a variety of crossover tunes.
  • The Byrne Brothers – Extraordinary father-and-sons quartet, back by demand, who tell stories through their music, singing and Irish dancing. Featured Rollicking Raglan Brunch performers!
  • The Connemara Ramblers – Sam Carey and Orla Leavy delight audiences with their fresh Irish sounds. 
  • One for the Foxes – Exciting new transatlantic trio merging backgrounds in Irish and American folk music serve up an eclectic vibe.
  • Oliver Havlin from County Down, Ireland, rocks tunes on guitar, fiddle and vocals.
  • Raglan Road Irish Dancers – Our award-winning troupe.

To pair with the Irish vibes and in keeping with the Hooley spirit, Raglan Road will debut its new “Stars & Hearts” Keeper’s Heart Whiskey flight, an Irish-American collaboration aged in stout barrels. The pub’s bartenders also are whipping up new Hooley cocktails including “Heart of the Hooley” made with Keeper’s Heart Irish Bourbon and blackberry and mint shrub. And new dishes are slated to preview, including the culinary team’s first gourmet Guinness & Onion Soup, as well as a new Seaboard Sharing board for two with chef creations featuring a variety of ocean gems.

When you hear the word “Hooley,” you know to expect a good time.  It’s a Gaelic term for a lively, family-friendly party that ends up becoming legendary in one’s memory. 

“At Raglan Road, our Hooley is about finding an excuse to party!” says general manager Rachael Conroy. “And there’s no better time to celebrate than Labor Day weekend, where we can soak up the last vibes of summer during a festival of unique Irish music, dance, and food.”

There’s no cover charge to join the Raglan Road fun featuring top Irish bands with high-voltage entertainment. When the spirit moves you, be ready to kick up your Hooley heels -- our talented Raglan Road Irish Dancers will lead guests through a lively ceili. The ceili step dances, dating back to the Celts and Druids who inhabited Ireland in the 1500s, are usually a main event of local celebrations in Irish and Celtic communities. 

It all begins Friday afternoon, Sept. 1, and continues through late-night Monday, Labor Day. Celtic face painting is complimentary. In addition to the pub’s All-Day Menu, the delicious Rollicking Raglan Brunch will be served throughout the weekend and Monday from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.  

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This year, soak up the “unofficial end of summer” at Promenade at Sunset Walk Orlando, as the premium vacation destination hosts its Labor Day Weekend Celebration. From Friday, Sept. 1 through Monday, Sept. 4, guests can enjoy family-friendly fun and music, including Promenade’s Show Car Saturday Nights and a variety of live musical acts and DJ’s. Plus, attendees can check out the over 20 dining, retail and entertainment venues that have made Promenade at Sunset Walk a must-visit destination. Admission to the event and parking are both FREE. For the full weekend schedule, click HERE.  


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The Florida State Seminoles will play the LSU Tigers at Camping World Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023. The matchup will be the fourth in a series of major neutral-site games held in Orlando as part of the Florida Citrus Sports-ESPN Events partnership. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster or visit FloridaCitrusSports.com.