☘️ I’ll be at Iowa Irish Fest and Kansas City Irish Fest this August, chatting all things Ireland travel—tips, ideas, and maybe a laugh or two. If you're attending, come say hi! I’d love to meet you.

At Iowa Irish Fest August 1-3, in downtown Waterlooyou’ll find me speaking all three days in the air-conditioned Elks Lodge (you’re welcome 😉). I’ll be sharing tips on Women’s Solo Travel, Multigenerational Trips, and Off-Season Travel—bring your questions!

Then it’s on to Kansas City Irish Fest at Crown Plaza, Labor Day Weekend (August 29-31) where I’ll be in the Travel Area, ready to chat one-on-one about planning your own unforgettable Ireland adventure.

If you have an Irish festival that you love and would like to see me at, or if you are on the board of or volunteer at an Irish festival and would like to learn more about having me attend, please email me – [email protected] . I love sharing my 22+ years of Ireland travel knowledge with people who are dreaming about a trip to Ireland!

Irish and Celtic festivals are great celebrations of culture and heritage – and they are family friendly! You'll hear terrific bands, find some wonderful shops with artisan items, taste some authentic (and some not so authentic) Irish food, and probably learn a fair bit about Irish history and culture.​

Many festivals will have an area for genealogy, tents for storytelling and Irish language, a travel section, and a fun spot just for the kids with crafts, games, and stages.

After deciding which Irish festival to visit begin by looking at their website. Some festivals are huge (like Milwaukee Irish Fest) and will take days to see everything. Others are small (like Weston Irish Fest near Kansas City) and feel like a village festival.​

Decide what bands and activities are most important to you, then plan around those, keeping in mind that there is likely a whole lot you are going to miss. Irish festivals always have plenty to keep you occupied!​

Don't forget comfortable shoes, a bag you won't mind carrying all day, a hat, sunscreen, and a water bottle.

If you are traveling into an area for the festival, arrange your accommodations in advance- these festivals (even the small ones) attract thousands of people! Often the festival will have an arrangement with local hotels, so refer to the official website for that. The great thing about the host hotel is that the bands are often there too- and you may just catch a session in the hotel bar after the festival closes for the evening!​

Tip: Many Irish festivals usually don't begin until late morning and they can run until midnight. Make sure your accommodation is someplace you can relax before & after the fun.

Traveling in Ireland podcast episode 279

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