Irish Fest celebrates 20 years in Kansas City: Who’s performing, how to get tickets

KC Irish Fest is celebrating 20 years in Kansas City, and organizers are going all out for the weekend in Crown Center.

The festival has over 300 performers scheduled, from live music and dances to Irish comedians and artists.

“You don’t need to be Irish to enjoy it,” said Keli O’Neill Wenzel, executive director of KC Irish Fest.

Tickets are still available for all days of the festival, Sept. 2-4. If you purchase tickets between now and Thursday, they cost $30, and tickets cost $35 day of. Weekend passes cost $70, for all three days.

MUSIC

With more than 300 performers from the United States, Ireland and the Celtic world across three days and seven stages, there won’t be a dull moment at the festival.

Here are a few key performers to look out for:

• Kansas City-based band The Elders are taking out their fiddles and guitars for one more show on Sunday. The group retired in 2017 and will headline Sunday’s performances at 9:30 p.m. on the Boulevard stage.

• We Banjo 3, a band out of Galway, is back and performing each day. They missed last year’s event due to the pandemic and are returning to Kansas City for shows at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 9 p.m. on Saturday and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday on the Boulevard stage.

• Long-time favorite Gaelic Storm comes back to close out Friday with a 9:30 p.m. performance on the Boulevard stage.

• Aoife Scott and The Friel Sisters are making their first appearances in Kansas City this weekend. Scott plays at 8:30 p.m. on Friday at the American Shaman stage and at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday on the Boulevard stage. The Friel Sisters open up the festival with a 5 p.m. performance on Friday at the Miller Lite stage. The sisters also play at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at the American Shaman stage.

• Kian Byrne takes the Jameson Whiskey stage at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday

• Local act Carswell and Hope bring vintage rock sounds during their 7:30 p.m. show on Friday at the Miller Lite stage and at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday at the Boulevard stage.

• The Mixtape takes place at 7 p.m. on Sunday at the Miller Lite stage, which will feature performers from throughout the weekend singing well-known Irish songs from the likes of The Cranberries, Sinead O’Connor, U2 and more.

Comedian Ardal O’Hanlon is coming all the way from Ireland for a show at Musical Heritage Theater on the third floor at Crown Center. He’s performing on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets for his show are not included in the general admission ticket. They’re $20 for general admission seating or $40 for VIP, which includes reserved seating, a complimentary cocktail and a meet and greet with O’Hanlon

Check out the full schedule of performances here.

FOOD

The festival will have an Irish marketplace with traditional Irish foods like fish and chips, meat pies and haggis.

Local food vendors will also be available during the festival, including:

• K&C Concessions Food Trailer

• K&C Concessions Whip Trailer

• KC Kona Ice

• Let’s Get Nuts

• Mai’s Noodle Express

• Minsky’s Pizza

• O’Dowd’s Gastrobar

• Oz Highland Farm

• Scimeca’s Italian Sausage

• Scotsfare Heritage Meat Pies

• Street Wings

• The Food Spot

• Twisted Taters

• Sheridan’s Frozen Custard

WHISKEY

You’ll be able to participate in whiskey tasting sessions throughout the weekend.

Tickets are available separately and are set for specific times, so choose carefully. Tastings are available for Jameson, Keeper’s Heart and Gold High Mark whiskeys at these times:

• Friday at 6 p.m. for Jameson

• Friday at 7:30 p.m. for Gold High Mark

• Saturday at 2:30 p.m. for Keeper’s Heart

• Saturday at 6:30 p.m. for Gold High Mark

• Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. for Jameson

• Sunday at 6:30 p.m. for Gold High Mark

SHOPPING

Art in the Park will be located in Washington Square Park, right next to Crown Center. It is modeled after the artists who sell their goods in Merrion Square in Dublin.

Over 30 vendors will have their art for sale, including:

• 40 Grit KC

• Angela Alec Arts

• Art Junkez KC

• Bboggled Art

• Black & White Specialties

• Crystal Ramirez Jewelry

• Daniel Fager-George

• Dave Stephens

• Debby Locke’s Glass Art

• DiscoverArt

• Dragonflies and Cards

• Gena Kearn Studios

• Indigo Moon Ceramics

• JHutchison Photography

• John Knell: Impact Driven Art

• Kansas City Woodturners

• Katheryn Krouse Art

• Kathryn Lee Hale

• Kestrel Clay

• Kevin’s Irish Art

• Kim Brown Fine Arts

• LK Hoppes

• Painted Dragon Studios

• Paul Aude Designs

• Paula Acheson

• Perspective Shift Art

• Power and Black Light Art

• Prairie Visions Pottery & Metalworks

• Scott Diven Designs

• Sean Corner Sculptures

• Shaw Earth Creations

• Shelby Nichols

• Studio Coleman

• Yield the Crow

KID-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES

There are a lot of activities for the children. The Visit Missouri Children’s stage will have family-friendly shows from the Heartland Irish Dancers and StoneLion Puppet Theatre each day of the festival.

Along with that, the festival will include these kid-friendly activities:

• A scavenger hunt: Kids can pick up a book at the children’s area entrance in Washington Square Park to participate.

• Face painting

• Balloon artists

• Silent Disco

HOURS

The festival runs at these times over the weekend:

• Friday: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

• Saturday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• Sunday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.