iFest Gates Open at 12 Noon on Sunday April 19 

HOUSTON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OPENS GATES AT 12 P.M.

Festival is Geared Up For Sunny Weather on Sunday, April 19

 WHEN:                        Sunday, April 19        12 p.m. – 9 p.m.

WHAT:            Despite the inclement Saturday weather, the 38^th annual Houston International Festival has a schedule chock-full-of activity for Sunday, April 19. The Festival kicks off the celebration of Ireland with delicious food, fine arts and crafts and the best music from around the world. Not only has Plena Libre been rescheduled for 12 p.m. on Sunday, but festival-goers will also enjoy performances by Marc Broussard, Mavis Staples, CJ Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band and more. See the music schedule below for performance times.

                        Other exciting elements include the H-E-B Cultural Stage, which will feature dance performances, cuisines of Ireland and Irish dance costumes. Celebrity and local chefs will present cooking demonstrations during multiple daily performances.

 WHERE:          Downtown Houston

Stretching across 16 acres of downtown parks and streets including City Hall, Bagby

Street, and Tranquility and Sam Houston Parks

WHY:               The Houston International Festival, a celebration of world music, food and

                        culture, resumes tomorrow, Sunday, April 19 and continues a second weekend,

                        April 25-26. This year’s Festival spotlights Ireland.

TICKETS:       Tickets at the gate: $15

                        Target Kids Free: Kids 12 and under are FREE

SUNDAY, APRIL 19

CENTER STAGE

12:30  Bayou City Pipes and Drums

  1:30  Cass Irish Dancers

  3:30  Cass Irish Dancers

  5:30  Beoga (Ireland) with Houston's Championship Irish Dancers

  7:30  Beoga (Ireland) with Houston's Championship Irish Dancers

BUD LIGHT WORLD MUSIC STAGE

  12:00 Plena Libre

 1:45   The Killdares

  3:00   Chic Gamine (Quebec)

  5:00   Marc Broussard

  7:00   Mavis Staples

LOUISIANA STAGE

  1:00    Big Red and the Playmakers

  3:00    Feufollet

  5:00    Big Sam's Funky Nation

  7:00    Michael Doucet avec BeauSoleil

ROOMSTORE LATIN STAGE

12:15   Conjunto Los Diamantes

  2:15   Mariachi Los Arieros

  4:15   Mark Towns Latin Jazz Trio

  6:15   Lucia y Valdemar Gitanerias Flamenco

TEXAS STAGE

  1:00    Mark Halata & Texavia

  3:00    The Quebe Sisters Band

  5:00    Mariachi Los Arrieros

  7:00    CJ Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band

CHRON.COM HOUSTON STAGE

  1:30    Kayumanggi

  3:30    Mark Halata and Texavia

  5:30    Big Red and the Playmakers

  7:30    The Killdares

MCGONIGEL'S MUCKY DUCK PUB STAGE

  2:00   Danny O'Flaherty (Ireland)

  4:00   Kevin Burke (Ireland) & Friends

  6:30   The Quebe Sisters & Kevin Burke (Ireland meets Texas)

  8:00   Kevin Burke (Ireland) & Cal Scott

H-E-B CULTURAL STAGE

12:30   H-E-B Cooking Connection Presents Cuisines of Ireland

  1:30   Fashions of Irish Dance

  2:30   Lucia y Valdemar Celt-Iberia

  3:30   Celtic Menagerie

  4:30   Therese Honey Irish Harp Quartet

  5:30   H-E-B Cooking Connection Presents Cuisines of Ireland

  6:30   Celtic Voyage

  7:30   Danny O'Flaherty (Ireland)

GAELIC STAGE

12:00   Bayou City Pipes and Drums Parade

  1:30   Irish Dance Lessons by O'Maoileidigh School

  3:00   Irish Dance Lessons by O'Maoileidigh School

  4:30   Danny O'Flaherty (Ireland)

  6:00   Celtic Menagerie

  7:30   Fish and Chips

TARGET INTERNATIONAL KIDS STAGE

12:00   Cool DJ Party

  1:00   Brettman the Magician

  2:00   Divinity Dance Company

  3:00   Bayou City Pipes and Drums

  4:00   Natya Upasana Indian Dance

  5:00   Ballet Folklorico Ozomatli

  6:00   In His Hands

  7:00   McTeggart Irish Dancers

AFRICAN/CARIBBEAN ZONE

12:15    Grupo de N'Golo

  1:15    Kalimba King

  2:15    Kuumba House Kids

  3:15    Sean Richards' Steel Drum

  4:15    Afro-Celt Drum Circle with Baba Ifalade

  5:15    Native Junkanoo Parade

  6:00    Soular Grooves Sound System with DJ Sun, DJ Simiyu and Josh Zulu 

LITERARY PROGRAM & READINGS

  1:00     Delia Cowles

               Edna O'Brien:"The Connor Girls"

  2:30     Chris Tennison

               Selected readings from James Joyce

  4:00     Janet Lowery

               Selection of Irish Poetry: Yeats, Heaney, Boland 

  5:30    Charles Krohn and Chris Tennison

              Oscar Wilde: "The Importance of Being Earnest"

SISTER CITIES STAGE

  1:30    Raices del Peru - Folk Dance & Music

  2:30    Soniquete Flamenco Dance Company

  4:30    Mixteco Ballet Folklorico

  5:30    Didgeman - Native Australian Music

  7:30    Niho – Cuban

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