KC Irish Fest

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.