Celtic Thunder star Emmet Cahill brings his gorgeous Irish tenor to Vero Beach this Sunday afternoon, a fitting conclusion to the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. The singer’s solo tour, “Emmet Cahill: Irish Memories,” comes to the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center following a live performance on NBC’s “Today” show Friday. Cahill is launching a career as a solo artist after touring for three years with Celtic Thunder, the world-renowned Irish music show known for its eclectic theatrical performances. Sunday, Cahill and the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra will perform songs from the newly released solo album, “Emmet Cahill’s Ireland,” including several classic Irish favorites, “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen,” “An Irish Lullaby,” “Danny Boy,” “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” and others. Cahill will also sing selections from several musicals. The concert starts at 3 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults; $15 for students 18 and under. Call 855-252-7276 for ticket info.
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, under the baton of Peter Oundjian, will appear in concert at Community Church of Vero Beach this Friday at 7:30 p.m. Presented by the Indian River Symphonic Association, the concert will feature classical violinist Nicola Benedetti performing the Brahms Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77. Benedetti began playing the violin at 4, and studied under Yehudi Menuhin, widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. The program includes: Alexander Borodin, “Prince Igor” Overture; and Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36. Based in Glasgow, the orchestra has performed full-time since 1950.
Celebrate the 114th birthday of the nation’s first wildlife refuge this Saturday, in the town where it all began. It’s the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge Festival, on the shores of the Indian River Lagoon, in Sebastian’s Riverview Park. The free festival is hosted by the Pelican Island Preservation Society and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and offers a ton of environmental displays, lots of food and music. There will be activities for the kids, wildlife displays and boat tours, and you won’t want to miss meeting the president who officially established the first refuge, Teddy Roosevelt, amazingly portrayed by Joe Weigand. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Climate change: The topic is getting hotter (pun intended), and you can learn more about it from an extremely knowledgeable source this Saturday in Vero Beach, when the Emerson Center Celebrated Speakers Series presents Michael Oppenheimer, Princeton professor and chief scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, known for his work with a team who participated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Oppenheimer’s topic will be “Climate Changes in the Wind or Just Blowing Smoke,” and he promises to provide some clarity, sharing the latest scientific findings so our opinions can be informed. He’ll speak at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., with a VIP reception at 5:15 p.m. Call 772-778-5249 for tickets.
The weekend music scene in Vero Beach offers several choices. Here are a couple: At historic Waldo’s on Ocean Drive this Saturday, 1p.m. to 4 p.m., it’s the Endless Summer Band; then, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., Dave and the Wave, playing classic rock, Motown, R&B and smooth jazz. At Grind and Grape on Bougainvillea, they call themselves a “coffee and pastry shop by day; a wine and full liquor bar with live music by night!” And that’s every night. This Friday, East Harbor, a four-man Indie Rock group, provides the tunes; Saturday it’s the Jordan Thomas Orchestra, one of only a handful of professional big bands within a 100-mile radius, says bandleader and retired music teacher James Jordan. Sunday, catch the three-man Bobby Owen Band, bringing classic rock, country, blues and oldies.
Ed Shanaphy and Friends are next up this coming Thursday at the Vero Beach Museum’s Concerts in the Park series. The popular group delights audiences with music out of the Great American Songbook from Cole Porter and Fats Waller to Billy Joel. The venue is the Museum’s beautiful Sculpture Park. Food and a full bar are available, and concertgoers should bring their own folding chairs. The concert is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Cost is $10 for Museum members; $12 for non-members.
The Indian River County Firefighters Fair continues all the fun, food, music and excitement though this Sunday. Whether your fair fare of choice is the hair-raising rides; the 4-H kids and their livestock; the music and stage shows; the fair food; or just the pleasure of sharing an old-fashioned good time with the family, the Indian River County Fairgrounds is the place to be. Hours: Friday, 5 p.m. to midnight; Saturday, 1 p.m. to midnight; and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.