The music of fiddles, the beat of bodhráns, the rhythmic clacking of dance shoes and cries of “Sláinte!” (“Cheers!”) will evoke the sounds, sights and smells of the Emerald Isle at the Dublin Irish Festival this weekend.
The fest grew out of a collaboration between the Columbus Feis Committee and the 1/1000 Committee in 1988. The inaugural event was part of a yearlong observation of Dublin’s first year as a city and its “friendship city” Dublin, Ireland’s 1,000th year as a city. Now, the Dublin Irish Festival is a prize-winning event known far beyond the confines of central Ohio.
The Celtic celebration ranked third in USA TODAY’s 10Best awards for Best Cultural Festival in 2023 and fourth this year. Also in 2023, it was named the Best Event in Dublin in the Visit Dublin Ohio Awards and took home nine Pinnacle Awards at the International Festival & Events Association Convention.
“The national recognition has been really great,” said Alison LeRoy, director of events for the City of Dublin.
More on Dublin Irish Festival: Dublin Irish Festival sets music lineup for Aug. 2-4; here’s how to get tickets
What to expect at the Dublin Irish Festival
The festival is expected to attract about 100,000 festivalgoers over three days to enjoy live music and dance, food, shopping, hands-on workshops, theater, traditional Highland games and countless other activities.
LeRoy, who has been involved in a variety of roles since 1998, called the event “a combination of a national draw and a local festival” and praised its extensive entertainment slate, which magnetizes fans from near and far.
“People really do come from all over; they travel from across the country. We’ve had people from different states including Texas and Florida and many cities — Chicago, Louisville, Philadelphia,” she said.
“I think usually, people are coming specifically for the music, especially (performers) from Ireland who have an international following. The mayor of Dublin (Ireland) came to see his favorite band a few years back.”
Another Irish dignitary will grace this year’s festival with her presence. “We’re really excited. We’re going to be visited by the ambassador of Ireland to the United States, Geraldine Byrne Nason. She’ll be at the festival dedication on Friday,” LeRoy said.
It takes a village to pull off the Dublin Irish Festival and LeRoy said locals have proven to be up to the challenge, from the 150-member committee that works year-round to more than 1,000 volunteers.
“The city of Dublin really gets behind this, as well as the police, parks department, finance team, everyone. The teamwork really builds camaraderie,” she said. “We want to make sure we’re representing true Irish culture, whether from the past or to the current day.”
If you want to know more about the Dublin Irish Festival, you don’t need a shamrock for luck because we’ve got a wealth of details below to know if you plan to go.
Where and when is the Dublin Ohio Irish Festival?
Held in Coffman Park, 5200 Emerald Pkwy., Dublin, the fest will take place from 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Festival gates will open at 9:30 a.m. Sunday for seven church services including Catholic Masses in English and Irish, a Druid service, an Episcopal service and a nondenominational service.
How much is admission?
There are various options to buy tickets for the Dublin Irish Festival. If you’re buying general-admission tickets, LeRoy recommended doing so in advance to save money.
One-day general-admission tickets are available online for $25 through Sunday; at the gates, the cost is $30 general admission and $20 for seniors (60 and older) and students/military with ID. Children 11 and younger get in for free.
Single-day tickets can be purchased for $20 at the Dublin Community Recreation Center through Thursday by Dublin residents and school-district residents, seniors and students/military with ID.
Weekend passes, available online only, are $60. To purchase one-day tickets and weekend passes, visit dublinirishfestival.org/tickets.
Additionally, guests will be admitted for free from 9:30-11 a.m. Sunday with the donation of a nonperishable food item or cash for the Dublin Food Pantry. Guests must be in line at an admission gate before to 11 a.m. to receive free admission.
Who’s in the entertainment lineup?
There isn’t enough space to list the 60 acts — that’s more than 800 performers — who will appear on seven stages. Here are some of the performances festivalgoers can enjoy:
- The Drowsy Lads: The Columbus band, a festival favorite, consists of a pair of brothers, a father-son duo and a lifelong friend. They’ll be celebrating their 20th anniversary and the release of their special-edition two-disc album, “Time Flies,” which comes out Friday.
- Richens/Timm Academy of Irish Dance: The school, which has produced champions who have won more than 50 world medals, has appeared at the Dublin Irish Festival since its inception in 1988.
- Gaelic Storm: Another longtime favorite at the festival, the group has topped the Billboard World Chart multiple times. Fun fact: Gaelic Storm portrayed the band at the steerage party in “Titanic.”
- Enda Scahill: The founder of popular band We Banjo 3 returns to the festival with Gadan, an Italian quartet that fuses traditional Irish and bluegrass with folk and Appalachian music.
- O’Jizo: This Tokyo trio’s sound layers the Irish wood flute and tin whistle with accordion, bouzouki, guitar and mandolin.
“For us, (O’Jizo) is an obvious choice,” LeRoy said. “Dublin has a large Japanese population, making the cultural transition pretty cool, and Irish music is popular in Japan.”
What’s new at the festival this year?
In addition to a Civil War encampment, a new virtual-reality tent will allow festivalgoers to be transported to Ireland, where they can “tour” the Cliffs of Moher.
Also, Abbey Theater of Dublin will present “Moby Dick’s Gone Missing” by Irish playwright Sean Cooney in the Dublin Community Recreation Center. The shows are included with festival admission, but free registration is required at dublinirishfestival.org/experiences. Wheelchair-accessible seating is available, as well as assisted listening devices.
“We’ve really been focusing more on people with accessibility issues coming to the festival,” LeRoy said. “We’ve added accessibility access stations, raised the platforms to two stages and we’ll have wheelchairs available for loan.”
Additionally, there are accessible and companion-assisted restrooms throughout the festival grounds.
What if I get hungry and thirsty?
Prepare to strap on the feed bag and wet your whistle by sampling the wares of 50 vendors selling everything from Irish stew to pizza, plus both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
“We encourage people to stay and try some of our items, not all of them Irish,” LeRoy said. “There also will be multiple whiskey tastings for beginners to connoisseurs
The four whiskey-tasting experiences range from $30-$350. Seating is limited for the popular events, so check dublinirishfestival.org/experiences/whiskey-tastings to see if tickets are still available.
Hydration stations also will be located throughout the festival for empty, reusable water bottles.
Will festival vendors accept cash?
LeRoy said the majority of festival operations are cashless, though some food vendors take only cash. “We will have ATMs and reverse ATMs that will exchange cash for a Visa card,” she added.
How can I avoid the headache of finding parking?
There will be alternative options to get to the festival easily, including:
- Parking in large nearby lots with free shuttle service
- Taking advantage of an expanded zone for e-scooters
- Riding and using the bike-parking program
- Using Lyft code IRISHFEST24 to get up to $10 off rides to and from the festival
Dublin residents 55 and older and those with disabilities can schedule rides to and from the festival with Dublin Connector. Book trips at least two hours in advance by using the SHARE Mobility app, calling 833-742-7333 or creating an account at connector.dublinohiousa.gov.
With so many people, are safety measures being taken?
For one, there will be bag checks at the festival. “We are lucky to have such support from police and security,” LeRoy said.
Also, parents, guardians and other caregivers concerned about getting separated from their children can visit the Identi-Kid tent to get a free wristband with their child’s name, age and the adult’s phone number.
Where can I find a full list of events?
You can go the traditional route and visit the website at dublinirishfestival.org or you can download the 2024 Dublin Irish Festival app, available on iOS and Android.
The app will allow you to create a personalized schedule of activities with reminders and alerts, view a user-friendly interactive map, discover more than 50 food and 70-plus shopping vendors and what they’re offering and more.
