About Feisin' the Coast & MS Gulf Coast Feis
Front Beach (1 mile from feis venue)
Downtown Ocean Springs (shopping, restaurants, and nightlife)
Mary C O'Keefe Cultural Arts Center (feis venue)
October 5, 2024
This feis is themed around the large annual event Cruisin' the Coast in early October where thousands of classic cars drive up and down coastal Mississippi. Feisin' the Coast will feature trophy specials with 1950's dress up themes and unique awards!
October 6, 2024
The Mississippi Gulf Coast is all things coastal, beach, and fun! This feis is eco-friendly with biodegradable or earth-friendly awards whenever possible, and the use of technology to limit paper consumption during the feis. Beach and coastal Mississippi themed trophy specials will be on the syllabus.
Black and white attire with no wigs and minimal makeup is recommended for this feis.
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Show Your Support
The Feisin' the Coast and Mississippi Gulf Coast Feis is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. All donations and sponsorships go towards promoting, fostering, and advancing interest and awareness in Irish culture and heritage through dance, song, and music and are tax deductible.
Parents, dancer shout-outs in our program are available for just $25.
Support our feiseanna in 2024!
Email feisinthecoast@gmail.com or fill out our sponsorship form to get started:
Volunteers needed!
We couldn't host such an amazing event without volunteers like YOU!
Fill out our form below to sign up to help in 2024. Volunteer incentives include food, t-shirts, and more!
Feis Venue, Travel, & Lodging
Feis Venue
This double feis weekend will be held in downtown Ocean Springs, Mississippi with lots of boutique stores, restaurants, and evening entertainment within walking distance with Front Beach just over a mile away.
The Mary C is a beautiful building and is home to art and history exhibits, classes, theater, workshops, and more all furthering art of all kinds in our community.
Mary C O'Keefe Cultural Arts Center
1600 Government St.
Ocean Springs, MS 39564
Travel
The nearest airport is Gulfport, Mississippi (GPT) which is ~20 miles from the feis venue.
Other airport options include Mobile International Airport (BFM) ~50 miles away, Mobile Regional Airport (MOB) ~50 miles away, and New Orleans (MSY) ~100 miles away.
Hotel Room Block
Margaritaville Resort Biloxi
195 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39530
Less than 10 minutes away from the feis venue and right on the beach is our hotel room block at Margaritaville! Each room includes up to 4 passes (one for each guest) to their waterpark! A great place for kids to play and adults to unwind after a long day of feising. Also at the resorts are multiple restaurants, an arcade, an amusement park, bowling lanes, a ropes course and more! This hotel is family-friendly, with plenty to do for kids, teens, and adults.
Room rates range from $170-219 per night depending on the day and INCLUDE up to 4 passes to the water park per room!
How to Book:
Call Mon-Fri 8am-4pm
Wendy 228-271-6338 or
Kay 228-271-6355
Ask for “Feisin’ the Coast Hotel Room Block”
Reservation cut-off date Sept 4, 2024
Credit card required to book a room
Cancellation requires 48 hours
Last Year's Adjudicators & Musicians (In 2023)
2024 musician and adjudicators are to be announced soon! In the meantime, read about our musician and adjudicators from 2023.
Musician
Seán Warren, Keyboards
Dublin born and raised, Seán Warren has been playing at Feiseanna for the last 9 years throughout Ireland, the UK, USA, Canada and Mexico. Seán completed his music studies at the Cork School of Music and is a founding member of the contemporary Irish band “Strung.” He continued his studies at the University of Limerick and graduated with a master's in music performance. From a young age, Seán was surrounded by Irish dance as his grandmother taught and adjudicated Irish dance along with his father, who also played music for Irish dancers with his brother Phelim, who composed the set dance “The Wandering Musician.”
Seán, now permanently based in the United States, is humbled by all the opportunities Irish dance has given him and takes his role as a feis musician–a major part of his music career. He looks forward to performing at this memorable feis weekend in Mississippi!
Adjudicator
Kristin Butke Zagorski, ADCRG
Kristin Butke Zagorski, ADCRG was born in Akron Ohio where she danced for 3 years with PJ and Judy McCafferty, followed by training under Tim O’Hare for 20 years. She was the first O’Hare female dancer to win a National title as well as 3rd place at the World Championships in 1997 and 2002. Also during her competitive career, she won 7 regional titles, including 4 wins in the prestigious senior ladies category.
As a performer, Kristin has danced with Cherish the Ladies, the Chieftains, and several major symphony orchestras. Kristin spent 3 years touring the world as a chorus and principal dancer in Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames.
Kristin has been an adjudicator for 16 years and enjoys teaching Irish dance in Nashville Tennessee and Northern Virginia, where she has coached dancers to win regional, national, international and world champion solo and team titles. She loves to share her passion of Irish dancing with her students and children, and she is looking forward to judging the first ever feis hosted on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Adjudicator
Joseph Manning, ADCRG
They say the tyrannosaurus is the only cool thing with short arms...well clearly, you’ve never met Joseph Manning (sometimes Joe, unless his mother is around, then it’s NEVER Joe). Joseph is from Kansas City and is a self-proclaimed web developing god by day and a fastidious Irish dance teacher by night. He has worked for over 15 years in web development in both the academic and corporate worlds.
Joseph was a champion dancer with the O’Riada Academy of Irish Dance in Kansas City before passing his TCRG in 2010 and taking over ownership from his teacher, Christine O’Riada (now O’Riada Manning Academy of Irish Dance). He has attended multiple Mid-America Oireachtas, North American Nationals, All Irelands and World Championship as a dancer and teacher.
While Joseph spends a great deal of time judging people, it’s mostly because he is also an Irish dance judge! Having passed his ADCRG in 2016, he has judged many world-qualifiers, including the South Africa Oireachtas in 2021.
In all seriousness, Joseph would like to thank everyone that has helped him get to this point. Without the support and love from Irish dance he doesn’t know where he would be today. He would like to thank Niall O’Leary and is looking forward to participating with the upcoming feis in Mississippi.
Adjudicator
Karyn Oster, ADCRG
Karyn Kelly Oster has been a member of the Irish dance community for over 40 years and recently celebrated 20 years as an adjudicator.
Karyn grew up in Brewster, NY and descends from a long line of champion Irish Step Dancers. Before she was old enough to dance, she would sing at the St. Patrick’s Day shows while her aunts and uncles changed their shoes between routines. At the age of 3, she started lessons with Cathy Spencer Revis, ADCRG. The following summer, she won her first North American Championship team title in Toranto, Canada. When the Spencer School closed in 1988, Karyn continued her dance instruction under her mother, Kerry Kelly-Oster, ADCRGSB, for another 13
years.
Eventually, Karyn followed in her mother’s footsteps from competitive Irish dancer, to teacher, to adjudicator. In 2002, weeks after graduating and receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in music, Karyn passed her TCRG examination and joined the Kelly-Oster School of Irish Dance as a full time teacher.
In 2005, the Kelly-Oster School joined forces with the Jean Davis Academy in Birmingham, England and enjoyed a wonderful partnership for 15 years. Their dance success includes multiple team and solo World medals, along with a Globe at the 2013
Boston Worlds in the Dance Drama competition. The Kelly-Oster School of Irish Dance closed it's doors in 2019 after 35 years of promoting Irish dance and culture in New York. Karyn now resides in Nashville, TN and continues to judge local and national competitions, including this past years North American Irish Dance Championships in July, which was the largest Irish dance event to date.
Thank You to Our 2023 Sponsors!
Join the Dance Party - Stage Sponsor
Title Sponsor
Sing Along Sponsors
Tap Your Toes Sponsors
Janet Miller
Cora & Don Anderson
Mariyka Anderson
Scottish Society of Mobile