Dublin Irish Festival

Dublin Irish Festival

First weekend in August

During the 19th century, a large Irish immigrant population settled in communities throughout the United States. One particular enclave established north of Columbus, Ohio, took the name of the capital of Ireland. In 1987, the first Dublin Irish Festival was held to commemorate the city's rich ethnic heritage.
The first festival was a humble affair, consisting of a small gathering of Irish dancers. The magnitude of the 20th anniversary, with over 93,000 people arriving from all over the world, showed how much the festival had grown in popularity over two decades. That same year, 10,036 festival attendees danced the Irish Jig at one time, setting a Guinness World Record for the largest Irish dance.
One of the festival's main events is the Columbus Feis, in which competitors square off in performances of a Gaelic dance known as the ceilidh (KAY-lee). The Feis, as well as shows taking place on six different stages, comprise the festival's music and dance component. Other activities include listening to storytelling and folklore at three cultural stages, eating traditional Irish food, shopping for imported Irish goods, and watching sheepherding demonstrations.

CONTACTS:
Dublin, Ohio Convention & Visitors Bureau
9 S. High St.
Dublin, Ohio 43017
800-245-8387 or 614-792-7666; fax: 614-760-1818
www.dublinirishfestival.org

Celebration days:
2011: Aug 6; Aug 7
2012: Aug 4; Aug 5
2013: Aug 3; Aug 4
2014: Aug 2; Aug 3
2015: Aug 1; Aug 2