Getting your Irish on, at least for 2021, will mean putting your mask on. Celebrating its fifth anniversary and third year with the grand final day celebration at Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site, Irish Fest Camden will be held March 2-6 throughout downtown Camden, albeit with new Covid-19 safety protocols in place. The event committee, buoyed by recent festivals in Kershaw County --- Revolutionary War Field Days and Land Jam ---, both successfully run in the age of Covid, are moving full steam ahead with the popular festival. Irish Fest Camden has unofficially served to help usher in spring to Camden and Kershaw County with a series of events which are both fun and family-friendly. The festival quickly outgrew its original location in downtown Camden in and around Broad and Rutledge streets and the open lot enclosed within and headed south along Broad Street to its current and more spacious location in 2018. Last year, a crowd estimated at nearly 4,000 turned out for the festival which was the last event staged before the coronavirus struck the county and the state went into a state-mandated shutdown. A non-profit entity with proceeds benefitting the ongoing capital campaign at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church on Lyttleton St. in Camden, last year, nearly 200 members of the church and community volunteered their time to work the festival. Irish Fest Camden is grateful for the community support it has received and this year has established a Community Grant, inviting local organizations to apply for a portion of event proceeds. Grant application and additional information may be found on the event website listed below. Widely known for its final day celebration which has attracted guests from throughout the state and region, Irish Fest Camden has grown from a one-day outdoor party to a weeklong celebration of Irish culture and almost everything to do with the Emerald Isle. Throughout the week of the festival, Camden businesses are invited to help join in the festivities by decorating their storefronts in an Irish theme. A committee will visit the locations with the winner receiving a unique award. A new event this year will be held on Tuesday, March 2 as the Art of Life Studio (1031 Broad St. in Camden) will be hosting a paint night to get you into the Irish spirit. The popular Irish Authors and Open Mic Night returns to Books on Broad (944 Broad St. in Camden) on Thursday, March 4. The evening features writers and poets whose works have captured the spirit of Ireland while inviting guests to take part in discussions regarding their works. The complete list of authors and other information will be announced when plans are finalized in the upcoming weeks. A new twist on a favorite pre-celebration eve is on tap for 2021 as “Shamrock the Block” replaces the former Pub Crawl. The night of music will be held outdoors on the spacious park located on the corner of Broad and Rutledge streets with Irish bands and musicians taking to the stage for this festive evening of fun,