If your experience with Irish traditions doesn’t go much beyond drinking green beer on St. Patrick’s Day, expect to be impressed by the Irish Fair of Minnesota.
Now in its 37th year, the fair, held on Saint Paul’s Harriet Island, is the largest free Irish fair in the nation.
Dozens of bands perform on the main stage over the weekend, from local acts like the Tim Malloys to the Dublin-based High Kings. Fairgoers can sample authentic shepherd’s pie from Claddagh Irish Pub, take in a sheep-herding demonstration or catch a game of hurling (a centuries-old sport resembling field hockey).
“Our goal is to promote Irish art and culture and make everyone feel welcome,” says organizational director Erin Cooper.
Perhaps no one embodies that spirit more than longtime volunteer Dennis Stanton, who began staying late to help stack chairs at a fair in the mid 1980s before graduating to running the popular Irish Fair raffle. After winning the fair’s Volunteer of the Year Award in 2009, Stanton’s role grew to promoting the fair year-round, “finding sponsors, hanging posters and doing whatever it takes to keep the fair free.”
Stanton says he’s gained a deeper understanding of his roots and made some lifelong friends, including dozens of Irish transplants.
“If you’d asked me how many people I know directly from Ireland a decade ago, it wouldn’t be a high number,” he laughs.
August 12–14 All ages. Free admission. See website for full schedule of events.
