By Amy Veneziano

Staff Writer

OMAK – A taste of Ireland will come to the North Okanogan just a week short of St. Patrick’s Day.

The traditional Irish folk band Craicmore will arrive at the Omak Performing Art’s Center for the third part of the OPAC Series March 9. The Haran Dancers, an Irish Dance group based in Kettle Falls, will join them on stage.

The Haran Dancers had a workshop for dancers last week, said coordinator Stacy Gleason. The dancers were from the Loorie Fraley Wilson School of Dance in Omak, she said. About a dozen dancers came out to learn Irish skills and eight of them will perform with the Haran Dancers on March 9.

The show starts at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 9. On March 10, more than 500 fifth graders from across the region will be bussed in to see a 50-minute version of the show, said OPAC project coordinator Linda Black.

Tickets will be sold at the door, Black said.

On Monday, March 10, around 500 fifth-grade students from across the region will be bussed in to see a 50-minute version of the show. The school program has brought students in for a variety of performances, including a vaudeville show in January.

Craicmore is a four-person Irish dance band based in California. They are from all over North America and have performed across the West Coast, including a regular St. Patrick’s Day performance in Las Vegas. Their music has also been used on television shows, including “Without a Trace,” “How I met your Mother” and “Days of our Lives.” The also perform an “Arts in Educational Outreach” program to educate students about Celtic song, dance and tradition.

The Haran Dancers have performed across the world, including recent trips to Australia. They have also been to the Irish Dance World Championships in Ireland.