Balmoral Resort To Bring Irish Spirit With Shamrocks and Shenanigans
by James Coulter
After nearly a year of COVID-19 putting a lid on the Irish spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, Balmoral Resort is helping unleash some Irish fun with their upcoming Shamrocks and Shenanigans on Sat., Mar. 20.
Balmoral Resort will be hosting its inaugural St. Patrick’s Day celebration with an afternoon of Irish food, music, and dance. A great lineup of Irish entertainers will help invigorate the luck of the Irish through song and dance. Among the performers that day will be The Byrne Brothers, a troupe of Irish jig dancers who regularly perform at Disney Springs.
A specialty menu will be serving traditional Irish cuisine like bangers and mash, Irish stew, and shepherd’s pies. Also being offered that day will be appearances by a bagpipe player and walk-around leprechaun character.
This all-Irish event was inspired by the resort’s all-Irish owner, Garret Kenny, who is from Dublin, Ireland. He wanted to help bring some Irish spirit this year following most previous holiday events being postponed or canceled last year due to COVID-19, explained Amber Pierce.
“This is our first time we have hosted this event,” she said. “We are excited to potentially make this a tradition. I think it is a day to bring out your family, be outside, and enjoy something fun with entertainment. And people can afford to learn something about Ireland.”
Balmoral Resort opened its Feltrim Sports Village in 2019 and its Event Center late last year. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, many planned events at the resort last year had either been postponed or canceled. Since then, events have been hosted to help draw people to their facilities.
Pierce is excited about the upcoming Shamrocks and Shenanigans. She especially cannot wait to see the jig dancers. As for safety measures, she assures that their open-air facility, especially the pool area at the clubhouse and grill, has enough space to accommodate guests safely.
“Our expectations going forward is to be able to provide a safe and fun environment for people to come out here at an open-air facility, so we feel like we can socially-distance people properly,” she said. “We are excited for the opportunity to host an event that could bring people together and keep them together in a safe environment.”
Their next big event will be the Battle of the Bands, to be hosted on Apr. 17. From noon to 9 p.m., ten local bands will have the opportunity to perform their best music for a chance to win up to $1,250 in a first-place prize.
Shamrocks and Shenanigans will be hosted all-day on Mar. 20. Admission is $15 per person. The event will be hosted at the Bar and Grill at Balmoral Resort, located at 124 Kenny Blvd, Haines City, FL 33844. For more information, visit their website at: https://www.feltrimresorts.com/balmoral-resort
