Sophia DeLong was the last to perform at the Youth Celtic Fiddle Competition hosted by Stabin Museum and Café Arielle in Jim Thorpe Saturday.

But DeLong, 15, of Sinking Spring, wasn’t nervous. She’s been playing the fiddle for years, and competing in music competitions even longer than that. She’s also been practicing violin for nearly a decade.

“I actually haven’t been nervous in a very long time,” DeLong said. “I don’t get nervous. I turn my nervous energy into excited energy.”

DeLong placed first among three other fiddlers in her division.

“I’m proud of myself,” DeLong said after receiving her medal. “And I can’t wait to keep working.

“I’m always excited to see what comes next.”

A total of eight talented musicians took the stage during the fiddler showcase, but the Celtic-inspired celebrations didn’t end after the winners were crowned.

Last July, organizers of Carbon County’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade announced the end of the popular event, which drew about 10,000 people to Jim Thorpe every year over its 21-year existence.

“We wanted to end the parade on a high note,” Ron Sheehan, a parade committee member, said in July. “It gets harder each year to raise money to cover the cost of the bands, police and public services expenses, insurance and other related costs.”

So in the parade’s absence, the Jim Thorpe Tourism Agency decided to give people something else to take part in: Its Inaugural Irish Fest.

Joan Morykin, co-owner of Stabin Museum and Café Arielle, called the parade “a wonderful event,” but said it didn’t really drum up a lot of business. The parade took place on the street, and usually people brought their own drinks.

“It was not necessarily an event that all the businesses could participate in,” Morykin said. “This (Irish Fest) is unique in that we can create our own event in our own venue.”

Last September, Morykin attended the Celtic Classic in Bethlehem. And thanks to Irish Fest, she had the perfect opportunity to bring the show home.

“I was so impressed by what I saw and just found it to be so entertaining,” Morykin said. “I thought, ‘that would be something that we could bring here to Jim Thorpe and to Carbon County.’”

Site of the June 21, 1877 execution of four Irish coal miners for their alleged ties to the Molly Maguires - a secret society of labor activists - Irish history has deep roots in Jim Thorpe. Aki Susko, of Jim Thorpe Tourism Agency, said that that heritage made the borough a hub for St. Patty’s festivities.

“People have been coming to our town for years to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with that parade,” Susko said. “We wanted to make sure there was still fun to be had and things to do to celebrate in our town.”

Visitors walked up and down a green clover-covered Broadway, where they could stop in at one of its many stores or grab a bite to eat. They also had the option of buying a Pot O’ Gold Passport, giving them access to discounts at local shops and a guided walking tour.  

On Saturday evening, the Tartan Terrors, a Celtic music and dance group, performed at Mauch Chunk Opera House.

For Susko, Jim Thorpe’s Irish Fest is simply a chance for people to “come out and just enjoy St. Patrick’s Day the way they would like to do it. If it’s with friends, if it’s in a kilt, if it’s having a beer or if it's with your family.”

If you missed out on the first round of fun, don’t fret; the second weekend of Irish Fest boasts its own itinerary of Celtic revelries, like a performance by the  Emerald Isle Step Dancers and an Irish brunch at St. Mark's Church on Race Street.

For a full list of events, go to https://www.jimthorpe.org/irish.

Captions:

Sophia DeLong, 15, of Sinking Spring, performs during Stabin Museum and Café Arielle’s first ever Youth Celtic Fiddle Competition. The competition was just one event that took place during Jim Thorpe’s Inaugural Irish Fest. DANIELLE DERRICKSON/TIMES NEWS

Last weekend marked the beginning of Jim Thorpe’s first annual Irish Fest, but if you missed the first round of fun, don’t fret. The festival continues on March 15. DANIELLE DERRICKSON/TIMES NEWS