This has been the second time I have gotten to go to this event. The first time, it was still held at the riverfront park. Performers on multiple stages playing my favourite music. Organised places to get signatures and meet your favourites. All while stopping by the multiple tents to pick up another Guinness! I expected a few more vendors selling their crafts; however, I understand that to do so has become harder and harder. There is an issue with some crafters using a lot of Cheap AI Art or the overabundance of 3d printed tchotchkes. But, a few more selling good items would have been welcome. I don't think there were more food options to choose from. I, of course, chose items that could be considered standard Irish fare. Too much on while watching the shows. It was a good turnout. Only bad experiences were with other goers who just didn't bother to consider that there were people around them. But, that isn't the norm and were few and far between on the 12 hours that we were there! Note: Love the HIGH KINGS!!! read more

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I can't tell you how many years I have attended this event, It is always a great event. So many great bands and performers. With everything from a silent disco, Bingo, cultural movies and talks, along with a whole area for the kids to play and run. Plus a row of food venders and beer tents. There is also a large area of art dealers and tents. It is easy to get there in the morning and make a day of the event. read more

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Price was a lot to get in but it was big this year the food vendors were great !!! Irish egg roll !!! It was great Scottish eggs fish and chips !!! read more

Outdoor Entertainment Festival all things Irish! The fiddle is playing (and the bagpipes if you're lucky) and the beer is flowing (or the Jameson if you're hardcore) and the sausages are grilling...did I mention it's also family friendly? Especially during the daytime on Saturday or Sunday, but even on a Friday night, no one was rowdy or rude, and kids seemed to be dancing along to the band excited to be up past their bedtime. There's also a kids area dedicated to crafts and other fun activities. The shopping booths and the merch are also enjoyable to meander through and do some impromptu shopping. Beers aren't exorbitantly expensive, being $8.50 for a boulevard, which I don't mind paying. Once it gets to be over $10 per beer at any concert or event, that's when I become a little weary. The music after dark at the boulevard stage provides awesome vibes to enjoy on one of the last fleetings nights of summer, kick off your shoes put on your kilts, and enjoy! Also, speaking for Friday evening, it wasn't too crowded, which made for an enjoyable experience. It's never fun to feel like you're packed like sardines into fair or festival grounds. Recommend attending the KC Irish Fest event if it's not your culture (like me) because the energy is enigmatic and there's so much to do, but it's not overwhelming. read more

KC Irish Fest - Festivals Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

I've actually gone here a couple of times: 2018 and 2022. They are still recovering from Covid, in that they're still not up to the level of 2018, but it's still a fun time. First things first, having skimmed the other reviews. If you're not open to Irish music, there's no reason to come to this. Yes, there are some food trucks, some cultural events, pricey Irish souvenirs, whiskey tastings (for an additional cost), but the reason to pay to attend is 100% the music. If you're native to KC, you can probably figure out the parking situation, but for an out of towner, they could have given more specific information on their website. It doesn't help that it felt like 90% of the roads in the area were under construction. I parked on the street one night, crown center the next, and an outdoor lot the final night. What I like most about this is roaming between the 3 stages, catching a bit of this act, a bit of the next. Most bands play multiple times each weekend, and by the last day, you'll see a number of them randomly pop up to play a song or two together. I will also say the early in the day is much more enjoyable. Although the biggest acts perform at night, it gets entirely too crowded. And even if you camp out a spot, people are really bad about plopping right into your line of site at the last minute. That's my one annoyance. But if you can get past all that, this is a great event. read more

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2nd time I have been to Irish Fest. A lot of great vendors, entertainment, food trucks and beverage stations. I found several good buys from the local vendors. read more

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Set in a perfect location; incorporating Crown Center, Washington Park and closing down Pershing and Grand Ave to allow the Kansas City skyline and the newly renovated Western Auto sign to be a glorious backdrop for what has become maybe KC's most popular festival. This was my 1st visit to The KC Irish Fest, but I already know that it will become a yearly tradition for myself. I was fortunate enough the see KC's preeminent Celtic band and traveling ambassadors - The Elders in one of their farewell shows before they call it a career at the end of the year. Sitting on a rock ledge, knocking back a few Guinness's while swaying and cheering to the Elders with your best friend is truly a night to be remembered. Getting up close to the stage for some of the Red Hot Chili Pipers was almost as fun as The Elders. People watching, meandering though the art and merchandise shops on a beautiful late summer evening with a Guinness in hand - perfect. A great festival for a great city! read more

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Kansas City Irish Fest is a blast for kids and adults. From a kids area to Whisky tasting. Thanks to Yelp, I attended my first Irish Fest on Friday night. Irish Fest is in Washington Park next to Crown Center and across the street from Union Station. There was an abundance of food truck options all with an Irish theme of course. We split a few things so we could try multiple items. The meat pies are a win as well as the Scottish egg which I had never had before. Whisky everywhere, but there was also lemonade, soda, and water. But Whisky everywhere. LOL There was like 7 stages and the music was amazingly good. The weather cooperated to Friday evening and it was perfect. What a great night to sit back and listen to music in the park. There was a couple different shopping areas. A art show type area in Washington Park that had many vendors with an array of different types of art. It was fascinating walking through and looking at all of the art. The other area was in a large tent where you could look up your family coat of arms and many other vendors with a variety of items. There was a children's area and a children's stage for the youngsters. We really enjoyed the evening and I'm sure it will be an annual event. read more

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Several years ago, upon finding a facebook notice that it was happening, my friend and I stumbled into an awesome way to spend a Saturday. And then stumbled back for the next day. Since then, barring COVID's shutdown, we have attended KC Irish fest every year. There are varying levels of ITM (Irish Traditional Music) from more traditional takes like Cassie and Maggie, or a previous year Socks in the Frying Pan all the way to mixes of rock sound with ITM to we'll put on a kilt and add some Irish flair to a little rock and bluegrass. For those who just aren't into music, there is also a nice collection of arts and crafts tents, more alcohol vendors than you can shake a stick at, food trucks, there is usually a comedy slot, and Irish culture events as well. And full Irish breakfast for those who desire it and can. There are many levels to engage with this event as, from a fun time to get together with friends and drink and channel your inner Dionysus, to hearing, learning, and listening to a ton of Irish Music! Choose whatever works for you. And have a blast! read more

I volunteered at and thus attended my first KC Irish Fest this weekend, thanks to Yelp. The volunteering park was smooth and uneventful. You check in, get a t-shirt to put on and are directed to your area. I helped stock ice and beverages to the stalls for 4 hours. You also receive a complementary ticket for this service. Friend and I then wandered around to enjoy the evening. Heard some great bands - shout out to Solas! Had some very good fish and chips from O'Dowds, although the woman working the window was a little curt. I really enjoyed my specialty coffee cocktail at the Jameson booth. Overall, this is a fabulous event, but pricey. I've never gone before because $10 admission is a lot when you have to pay $2 for waters and sodas and $6-$10 for alcoholic drinks. The food was $8 and was one piece of fish and some fries. I would volunteer again, but perhaps not pay full price. Special tip - the streetcar made getting to and from ridiculously easy. read more

What a wonderful way to spend the evening! Couldn't have worked out better. The corned beef from O'Dowd's is very good at a reasonable price, and the Scimeca's Cherry Limeade taps all the right keys - ask for it sweetened a bit. So many stages, and so well planned out. From one band to another, then onto the O'Riada dance academy for a rousing performance by those talented young girls and boys. But the conclusion at the Boulevard Stage with the Western Auto sign as a backdrop really sealed the evening. We Banjo 3 simply killed it - the guy in the red pants was phenomenal! The Young Dubliners did such a wonderful job, but The Elders closed the evening with such a flurry of craft and community. I'd love to see their last show tomorrow or Sunday - I don't know when. But otherwise, what a great community event with exceptional vendors and musical talent. I hope the rain holds out during the moments that count the most. Try the foot long corn dog... read more

The Irish Fest music NEVER disappoints! It's literally the most fantastic sound to come out of a human soul ever. If you haven't heard the Elders band - you probably are not alive yet - go change that because they retire this year!! read more

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This is always my favorite festival in Kansas City. The bands they bring in are world class. There is something for everyone. Went with a coworker and her family and checked out the kids area with her children. Her kids loved the bounce houses that were included in the admission price. This year got vip tickets, which was great for a nice place to sit, food and drink! read more

I've been attending this festival every year I've been a resident if KC and even before. I look forward to this every year, you see so many people from your community in one area having such an amazing time and that us sure to bring a smile yo anyone's face. There couldn't be a more superb location in KC to hold this festival. The street is quardened off and the festival goers feel like they have wondered into their very own little village. The festival has grown significantly since my fist visit in 2002. Every year this something new to discover. One of my favorite things about this festival, apart from the wonderful food, crafts and community is the unbelievably amazing music. Some of the world's finest musicians make the trek to our little hamlet each year to provide the residents of KC with, what can only be described as a candy coated treat of entertainment; something akin to finding an extra coin in your purse. read more

KC Irish Fest - Annual KC Irish Fest - Festivals Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

All in all a fabulous time. I believe that for the money I we all spent to enter the grounds, there could have been just a bit more to offer or bring the cost of entry down. Guest speaker on DNA was fantastic and really added clarity to the subject of whether or not to invest in Family Tree knowledge. All the musical acts were above the mark and the sound quality was fabulous. As far as goods and merchandise for sale; well, some items (paintings in particular, were valued at over $4,000, yes four-thousand dollars). A bit more than most people carry to a festival, but I understand its about getting the word out. Food gets a 4 out of 5 and parking was fantastic, quick in and out to a major metropolitan city center. read more

KC Irish Fest - Festivals Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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This was a great event! Lots of booths, cool artists and special shows all over the place. I can see why KC is so proud of this festival. The shopping "cube" was packed with cool and interesting shops, most of them I had to follow on Facebook or Twitter so I could check them out after getting paid. Wish there were more food booths though, and greater beer options. I did enjoy that some booths were staffed by charity organizations, mainly of the religious variety, so it felt like I was helping someone out while helping myself to a Guinness. read more

Not sure what my expectations were, but this was very expensive for a whole lot of nothing. Basically we paid $50 for the privilege of walking around to different food trucks, unrelated to Irish culture, and many craft booths/tents that you find anywhere at open FREE fairs. The music was....well IDK, we didn't go listen because it's was just noise, nothing interesting. Maybe it was lame because it was the last day of the fest and there weren't as many good presentations or music??? Whatever the case, I can not recommend this as it's a huge waste of $$$. read more

KCIF is an enjoyable block party with a mix of culture, and it is more fun if you know the ropes. - The Westin and Sheraton regularly offer room discounts during Labor Day weekend. Only so many rooms per night can be booked at that discounted rate per night. If the rate is not available, you must book through the main website. - Subscribe to KCIrishFest.com's newsletter to learn the latest information leading up to the event. - Road closure occur on the south end of Grand and along East Pershing in front of the Westin Crown Center. - Parking is also a bit hectic. If staying downtown, leave your vehicle there and take the free trolley (kcstreetcar.org) to the festivities. The parking lots by Ply Gem fill up quickly on any given day. - You are allowed to bring in a water bottle with you! KCIF is all about being green. - VOLUNTEER! Doing one 4ish hour shift earns a free ticket to enjoy the festivities. I did a couple shifts on Friday and Saturday to treat my friends on Sunday. - Green is definitely the color to wear, but you'll loose track of who's where in the sea of green if you're not careful. - Children are welcome to come and have their own area of activities! - This is more about the adults though. In order to purchase alcohol, you must have tokens were can be purchased by the entrance. Many local worship centers have beer gardens at which you use the tokens. - Holladay is a local Irish brewery just north of KC near Hwy 29 in the town of Weston: holladaydistillery.com. - There were limited Irish food offerings, but the food truck options and overall quality definitely make up for it. They don't take KCIF tokens, and some require cash. If all else fails, the Crown Center also has restaurants inside its air-conditioned walls. - Washington Park converts into an art fair. Irish artists and some local ones too are invited to display and sell pieces. Be sure to have space in your vehicle if you are a connoisseur. - Another large portion of people attend for the music performances. At any given time, 1-3 bands could be performing in different parts of the Crown Center complex. Year 2018 saw the re-lighting of the Western Auto sign, which is of sentimental value to KC, as the Elders played. - My personal favorite band was Doolin', an Irish band from France. Yes, they can also sing in French. I was only slightly disappointed that their CD (purchased on-site) only had 1 French song plus a few instrumentals. Other useful links - westonirish.com/event/2018-weston-irish-festival - kansascity.com/news/local/article214569340 - kcoktoberfest.com - crowncenter.com - visitkc.com - irishtimes.com - doolin.fr/english - dublinirishfestival.org - dublinarts.org & thelocalartscene.com/dublin-ireland - bitesize.irish - duolingo.com/course/ga/en/Learn-Irish-Online - Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish Language Week) snag.ie/en read more

We have been to numerous Irish Festivals across the country and we always return to this one because it is one of the best! Great bands, food selection is better than most festivals, and the staff and volunteers are always friendly and helpful. Art in the Park is always unique and with the other vendors you will find what you didn't know you needed! Their official festival app does a super job of keeping folks informed too. read more

KC Irish Fest - The band MOXIE signing autographs after their show. - Festivals Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

Food selection was excellent. Drink selection not so much. Not everyone likes whiskey. If you are going to have liquor it would be nice to have a variety. The entertainment selection was also quite good. $18 per person to get in was too high though. At least include a couple food or drink tickets with the entry fee. read more

Great event. Great music. Shame the a-holes smoking cigars have to ruin it. Hope they ban cigars in future years.

This is so much fun! The music is excellent, food is good, there are crafts for kids, FREE genealogy search for ancestors (do you know how much this usually costs?! And here it's free!). Lots of staff and volunteers, very large and well run event. Free parking at Crown Center too. I'm stunned that they have 5 music stages running simultaneously without interfering with each other. Tickets do seem a little pricey, but you're getting a lot of entertainment bang for the buck (save by buying them in advance online). Or volunteer and get in for free. I look forward to this festival all year read more

This is a very well organized, extremely well attended IrishFest. I am not thrilled that I wasn't able to buy half day prices; especially the first year I went two hours before closing and still had to pay for an entire day. As far as I know, that policy hasn't changed, and frankly, it's absurd. So for the four hours I've gone, I think it's a little too much money. So that's not a plus. The bands are always very, very good. The musical artists are both local and international; all are talented and good performers. There are always a few stages to choose from, and a pretty wide spectrum of music. I do wish there were more straight, classical type Celtic bands, it seems the emphasis in KC is mostly on Irish fusion. I think it would be better with a balance of older music as well. There's plenty of food and drink. The prices aren't Disneyworld ridiculous, but they're not exactly cheap, either. There's always a booth for fish and chips, they always run out of both, and it's the best fried fish (and just ok chips) that I've tasted this side of the country. I do have one big, BIG complaint, though. I've learned the hard way to sit as far from the stage and the sound system speakers as possible (not always easy to do with the big crowds), because the music comes out of the speakers so freaking loud, it actually hurts. I've sat with my fingers in my ears and listened to performers beg the sound guy to turn it down, as they watched people get up and leave, but they never do. Every year, every stage, there is something about the sound system that is literally painful. I've been to loud concerts; I've felt my throat, face, and feet vibrate from blasting music. This? This is different. This actually hurts. I didn't know ears could hurt this badly from loud music until I went to IrishFest KC. Not from Rob Zombie. Not P.I.L. Not Orgy. IRISHFEST KC. It doesn't matter where I sit, or what kind of music is playing (in fact, one of the worst offenders was with an amazing band of violinists and cello players from Ireland playing classical Celtic music- this was the band that begged the sound guy to turn it down and were ignored). I KNOW it's possible to play music loud without causing this kind of pain. I don't know enough technically to know why this is going on at this festival. But it's a problem, at least for me. I shouldn't have to bring ear plugs to an Irish music festival. So. A couple of really good things, a couple of pretty damn bad things. I think people who like this kind of thing should absolutely go, at least once, to see for themselves. When I first moved here and found out about IrishFest Kc, I thought, oh, I'll be hitting that up every single year. Now, not so much. It's not a Must Do, which is a pity. read more

Really enjoyed the music and atmosphere. Music was very mixed. You could pick from what you think of as Irish music or hear some really great rock. One group we really enjoyed was Finnegan's Right Hook. They played everything from the Game of Thrones theme "Fire and Ice" to Pink Floyd's "Breathe" and my personal favorite "Shipping up to Boston" which they use on Rizzoli and Isles. The festival seemed to us to be very well organized and controlled. Plenty of toilets, chairs, and security through out area. Fish and chips from Bag of Nails quite good, definitely above usual "festival food". Beer selection good: Guinness, Boulevard IPA, and some mega-breweries. read more

I have been attending this for years. This festival is something that I look forward to all year round. The music is always amazing. I usually get to see some favorites and am always tickled if I get introduced to that one band which I cannot wait to hear the next thing from them or see them again. The food is a favorite as well, there's alway a few things I can't wait to have and then there are opportunities to try something new. I cannot wait until next year. read more

A great little Irish Fest. It's small, but the entertainment is good.

This festival is always fun. I've even volunteered there two years in a row and you get a free ticket for next day entry (it's like $18 at the door otherwise). But there's tons of live music, shops, places to buy beer. None of the lines are crazy long and it's really pretty fun. I love checking out the section with all the art... it's a bit of a preview for the Westport Art festival I think. There's a whole section for kids to play and be crafty. There are TONS of really great food trucks (some are Irish-food specific which is fun). Prices are normal festival prices ($6 beers, etc). But if you don't mind paying extra, the whisky tasting is informative and some of the extra things you can buy tickets for are worth it. It's a little too bad it's always over Labor Day weekend because a lot of my friends who would otherwise go are out of town. But if you're in Kansas City over the holiday weekend, it's pretty fun for the whole family. read more