Green With Envy

For a couple weeks leading up to St. Patrick's Day, many Caucasians aren't just white—we're Irish! In the wake of Black History Month, we long to have a culture worth celebrating, even if the only thing we know about our heritage is that Irish people drink Coors Light with green food coloring until they get sufficiently pissed and start picking fights. Filling that need this weekend is the North Texas Irish Festival, featuring music and dancing, kids' activities and even a Scottish Village. But despite all that supposedly authentic Celtic culture, I think it's appropriate that this year's North Texas Irish Festival is sponsored by the ambassador of shamrock culture that is Bennigan's, which offers true Irish fare such as Southwest Egg Rolls and boasts of serving "the coldest Guinness in town" despite the brewer recommendation to serve it at 42.8 degrees. The 2008 North Texas Irish Festival is 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Fair Park in Dallas. Tickets are $10 to $15 or $30 for a three-day pass and free for kids 11 and younger. Call 972-943-4616 or visit ntif.org for more information.
Fri., Feb. 29, 6-11 p.m.; Sat., March 1, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m.; Sun., March 2, 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., 2008