The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

With summer rapidly approaching (in spite of the recent chill here) festival season will soon be upon us. In the coming summer and early autumn, I want to encourage you to get out, hit the road...and go to somebody else’s Irish Fest.

Not on Labor Day weekend, of course. Let’s not get all crazy here. September 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, you better be right here in Kansas City where you belong. Don’t make me come find you. But there are great events all summer long across the country, some big, some small, all well worth visiting. And I can tell you for a fact that all the ones listed below are run by dedicated, nice, fun folks who work just as hard as we at KCIF do to put these things on. They are the festivals whose organizers we’ve come to know and develop friendships and professional relationships with through the informal American Irish Festivals Association. You’ll get a preview of some our 2006 entertainers at some of these events, and you’ll hear some bands you might want us to book in the future at others. You’ll even see some of our homegrown talent out there in the world, too.

So go. Wear a Kansas City Irish Fest T-shirt. Say hi for me. And when you get back, send me a note and tell me how much fun you had. Tell me about any great ideas we should steal, what bands or performers we should look in to. Tell me about things we shouldn’t try, too. I’m going to a couple myself and I’ll let you know what I find, too.

Southern Illinois Irish Festival
Carbondale, IL
April 28, 29

Louisville Irish Fest
Louisville. KY
June 10, 11

Potomac Celtic Festival
Leesburg, VA
June 17, 18

Colorado Irish Fest
Littleton, CO
July 8, 9

Catskills Irish Arts Week
East Durham, NY
July 9 - 14. Traditional Festival, July 15

Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival
Cleveland, OH
July 21, 22, 23

Great American Irish Festival
Frankfort, NY
July 28, 29

Dublin Irish Festival
Dublin, Ohio
August 4, 5, 6

Minnesota Irish Fair
Harriet Island in St. Paul, MN
August 11, 12, 13

Milwaukee Irish Fest
Milwaukee, WI
August 17, 18, 19, 20

Pittsburgh Irish Fest
Pittsburgh, PA
September 8, 9, 10

Indy’s Irish Festival
Indianapolis , IN
September 15, 16, 17

Michigan Irish Music Festival
Muskegon, MI
September 15, 16, 17

Celtic Classic
Bethlehem, PA
September 22, 23, 24

Failte Saint Charles
St. Charles, MO
September 23, 24

And though these great festivals have already been held for this year, it’s never too early to start planning for next year!

North Texas Irish Fest
Dallas, TX
March 2, 3, 4, 2007

Manhattan Irish Fest
Manhattan, IL
March 2, 3, 2007

St. Louis Tionol
St. Charles, MO
April 20 - 22, 2007