Butte celebrates Irish roots

My friend Ed hails from Butte, and despite the fact that his entire family has lived in Spokane for a few decades now, they cannot stop talking about Pork Chop John’s, swinging by Buttrey’s to buy “battries,” fancy nights out for buckets of spaghetti at Lydia’s, and (you have to say this like you’re in the movie “Fargo”) the “lady on the hill.”

And by that, they mean the statue of Mary that closely supervises everything going on in the city below.

I guess we can put that toxic slag pond on her tab.

Their fondness for Butte has rubbed off on me, so I’m compelled to call your attention to the An Rí Rá Montana Irish Festival, a celebration of Celtic culture and heritage in historic uptown Butte, Aug. 10 to 12.

“When people in Ireland were looking for work after the famine, two of what they called the ‘copper kings’ sent word back that there were jobs in Butte,” says Mike Tutty, one of the organizers for the festival.

“The people who came from Ireland were able to go straight to work. They already knew everything about mining.”

This is the fifth year for the community’s celebration of its Irish roots. You’ll find a number of offerings that make perfectly good sense, like Irish dance workshops and performances, and more Irish music than you can shake a stick at, including the Cathie Ryan Band; the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band; Aoife Clancy, who, according to the Boston Globe, sings “with the same gorgeous naturalism as if she were experiencing the emotions in the songs for the first time”; and The Elders, self-proclaimed providers of “arse kickin’ Celtic music from the heartland.”

You can rub elbows with the musical folks before the festival gets under way on board the An Rí Rá Performers Train – also known as the Copper King Express – on Aug. 9. The $25 tour will carry you from Butte to Anaconda and back again, educating you about all things Irish along the way.

The festival has also scheduled activities with a less obvious connection to Irish culture, such as a golf scramble and a 5K or 10K run. But they bring the whole theme home on Sunday with an outdoor mass “in Irish language.”

There’s more information to be had at www.mtgaelic.org or (406) 498-3812.

Chasing the dragons

A couple of weeks ago, I got an e-mail about Spokane’s Dragon Boat Races. I dutifully reported this to my husband, who immediately burst out laughing.

We participated last year and what with the tyrannical practice schedule and our apparent incompetence with a paddle, we won’t be doing that again anytime soon.

I will admit, however, that the boats are fun to look at, so there’s no reason for you not to check out the Victoria (B.C.) Dragon Boat Festival, Aug. 17 to 19.

Especially since we won’t be there to spoil the whole thing for you.

Taoist priests will open the proceedings with the Eye Dotting ceremony that organizers describe as “an ancient rite that precedes every dragon boat festival.” The officiants “awaken” the dragon boats by dabbing red paint on the eyes of each boat’s “blind” figurehead.

Then, 90 teams from across North America will synchronize their strokes around the city’s Inner Harbour for your visual and competitive pleasure. The 22 paddlers on each crew tackle the 470-meter sprint in full dragon boat regalia.

On shore, you’ll find live music, dance, a children’s activity tent and the Forbidden City food court.

There are more details about all that at the festival’s Web site, www.victoriadragonboat.com. Or call (250) 704-2500, ext. 2.

Butterflies are freestyle

If you don’t find butterflies enchanting, you’re just too darn grumpy and you should definitely stay away from the Oregon Zoo this summer.

They’ve got 450 of the floating color palettes from Central and South America in their Winged Wonders exhibit, and you can capture the butterflies’ charms for perpetuity during an Aug. 11 photography workshop.

“Butterflies for Beginners and Intermediate Photographers” gives you two hours of access to the exhibit and on-site help from the staff of Pro Photo Supply. Bring your own camera, check your ID to make sure you’re high-school age or older and be ready to fork over $32 if you’re not a zoo member.

Get your questions answered at www.oregonzoo.com or (503) 226-1561.

Regional events

“Artist of the Prairie Art Show, Aug. 10-12, Ekalaka, Mont. This nonjuried show includes such fine arts as oils, watercolors, sculpture and photography. (www.visitmt. com/406-775-8714)

“Bug Day, Aug. 25, Boise. The Idaho Botanical Gardens will confer a “certificate of bugology” on participants, who also have the chance to purchase edible insects, play bug bingo, catch live critters and join in the Insect Olympics. (www.idahobotanical garden.org/ 877-527-8233)