IF YOU’RE IN THE WASHINGTON, D. C., AREA THIS SUNDAY Aug. 9, then you won’t find anything better than to slip over to Centreville, Virginia, where the Northern Virginia Firefighters Emerald Society Pipe Band will be holding a fund-raiser in the afternoon.

Ned Devine’s Irish Pub will be hosting the Grand Times from 1 pm to 5 pm and there will be plenty of good times altogether.  Lot’s of food, drink and of course, pipes & drums.  If you’ve never been inside a pub at the same time as a pipe band, you just haven’t lived yet.

From the band’s WEBSITE:

Devine’s is a big family-friendly restaurant and pub, and they are helping the band raise money for our uniforms and for travel to join the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Pipe Band in the Savannah St. Pat’s parade!

$10 Voluntary Cover charge
Happy Hour drink prices!
Food discounts!
Raffle prizes!
50/50
Silent and live auctions!
Tons of Bagpipe Band music, including members of other area Bagpipe Bands!

The pub is located right behind the Centreville Multiplex Theaters just off of Rte. 28.  They have the map and directions on how to find them HERE.

St. Patrick’s Day, 1984

The Northern Virginia Firefighters Emerald Society Pipe Band is pictured above in their inaugural perfomance marching in the Alexandria, Virginia, St. Patrick’s Day parade.

After spending the previous autumn and winter taking piping and drumming lessons, working the practice chanters and drum pads, the Emerald Society  pipers stepped off for the first time.  In the 25 years since, the band has kept together with the usual slight turnover that all bands experience, but a core group of leaders has guided it for the full quarter-century.

The band now marches in 3 or 4 St. Patrick’s Day parades each year along with some other annual events in the Washington, D. C. area such as the Vienna Hallowe’en parade and the Alexandria Christmas Walk each December that is an all-pipe band parade.

The NoVa Emeralds are easily picked out by the experienced parade-goers because they are the only Irish pipe band in the mid-Atlantic area that wears the traditional Irish saffron kilt.  No Scottish plaids for this bunch who plays mostly the Irish pipe and folk tunes in their repertoire.

For the past several years they have been the lead band and coordinators at the annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

St. Patrick’s Day, 2009

Congratulations from all the gang at Firegeezer for their milestone.  Best wishes for the next 25 years to come and special thanks to Pipe Major Steve Cochrane, Pipe Sergeant Ed Snyder, Piper Gary Winemiller and Drum Major Brian Brendel.

Firefighters Emerald Society Pipe Band WEBSITE.

THE WASHINGTON, D. C., ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE was held this past Sunday and the results are in:

The Northern Virginia Firefighters Emerald Society Pipe Band came away with the honor of Best Music Entry in the parade.

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Photo by Matt DeRosa

The NoVa Emeralds are readily identified by their traditional Celtic saffron kilts.

Congratulations, Guys, and well done!!

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NoVa Emerald Soc. Pipe Band WEBSITE.

SFD Pipes & Drums photo

THE PIPES AND DRUMS BAND OF THE SEATTLE FD have a good write-up in today’s Seattle Post-Intelligencer.  They were just formed 3 years ago, but have already made an impact in the area.  Mostly concentrated in the eastern states for the past 100 years, fire and police pipe bands are growing on the west coast now.

THE NEW LONDON (CONNECTICUT) FIREFIGHTERS Pipes and Drums step off the Spring marching season on Wed. May 16, performing at the Downtown Food Stroll.  5:30 to 8:30 pm.

THE CLEVELAND FIREFIGHTERS Memorial Pipes and Drums band will be performing Sunday at the City’s “Rally for the Troops” celebration.  It will be held at the Public Square in downtown Cleveland and the band plays at 11 am.