During the annual Irish Heritage Fair, something new (quoted from printed note):
“Monster Session!!! In order to preserve a historical record of the traditional Irish music scene in Minnesota-1850-2003 and to help promote awareness in our community of the numbers of aspiring Irish musicians here,the Irish Heritage Fair is providing us with a venue for our 1st annual Monster Session this year at the Harriet Island Pavillion on Sunday August 10 at 6:00pm. We will be playing standard session tuned at moderate speeds and hope that as many musicians as are able will participate. Please arrive at least a bit before the show so that we can settle on a short program of tunes. Thanks / Tom Dahill”
Of course you don’t have to be Minnesotan to participate! This great idea is Tom’s baby, and it will also be a photo-op for a visual record of our gathered might.
Bring your weapons.
AND it’s OK if you’re a beginner, too. Stand up and be counted.
(bump)
Since you’re all dying to know how it went… 
It was pretty good for a first go. There may have been around thirty-five to forty musicians (allowing for some coming and going), and the acoustic properties of the hemispherical ceiling of the pavilion stage ensured that we all heard each other very well in spite of my initial fears about the disjunction that otherwise often happens at large sessions. That ceiling is the bee’s knees.
As Tom D. indicated, the tunes were at a moderate pace, and there were young dancers from a number of the local schools to add to the fun.
I’m thinking that next year we’ll have more folks up there yet. Tom may think twice about having me sit next to him again, though, as I kicked over his Kaliber®. Fortunately he’d brought two more. My penance was to fetch 'em.
Next time, be sure to bring a bandana. It’s a hot time of year, and the sweat was flying.
Great stuff.