35th Annual Great American Irish Fair & Music Festival

The 35th Annual Great American Irish Fair & Music Festival comes to Irvine Saturday and Sunday, June 19 - 20 from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm at Irvine Meadows (next door to Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre) in Irvine, Calif.


This is a great Father's Day weekend event with 16 entertainment areas, 2000 Performers,  1000 Irish Dancers and 10  Bands.  Those groups are headed by The Young Dubliners - a favorite group of Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson - and longtime Irish Fair mainstay, Southern California's Fenians.  Also appearing will be Sligo Rags, 1916, Mighty Regis. The Galway Hookers Band, Slugger O'Toole, California Celts, The Humble Hooligans, and Anita and the Yanks.



The two says will also include pipe bands a'plenty, harp and fiddle, beer, bangers, an Irish dog show, Irish Wolfhounds, parades, Gaelic football, hurling, an historical Irish village, ancient arts and crafts, medieval shops, sword fights, raiding vikings, a kids village, red-haired kid contest, freckled-faced kid contest, baby contest, a photo show and more. Vendors will offer clothing, hats, accessories, foodstuffs and other imported goods,  and there might just be a wee bit of whisky to be had, too. Plus, let's not forget the new reigning Rose of Tralee. 

There's a free party 8 pm Saturday night at the Atrium Hotel - 18700 Mac Arthur Boulevard in Irvine.

Adult daily admission is $18, $15 in advance. Adult two-day is $28, $22 advance. Seniors and students are $15, $12 advance. Children 12 and under get in free with an adult. Buy advance tickets online through the Fair website. Look for discount coupons in the Orange County Register and the L.A. Times. The fair proudly admits free of charge all active duty military personnel in uniform and their immediate family, I.D. required. 

Sunday morning between 9:30-10:30 am the Irish Fair will offer a $4.00 per person discount off the FULL adult admission of $18.00 to those who donate 4 cans of food or more. 

The Fair location is 8800 Irvine Center Dr. - three minutes off the 405 freeway, where the 5 meets the 405. For more information, visit www.irishfair.org or call the  Irish Infoline: 877-740-9888


Here's a taste of last year's Irish Fair: