Naperville Irish Fest returns this weekend with food, music and family fun

If you’re looking for a little Irish Gaelic fun and culture, you might find what you’re looking for at the Naperville Irish Fest.

Hosted by Naperville-based West Suburban Irish, the festival is in its sixth year and brings in an average of 3,500 people to downtown Central Park. Whether you have deep roots in Irish heritage or just want to learn more about it, the gathering offers a little something for everyone.

The Naperville fest was started by West Suburban Irish Board members Terry and Marjorie O’Dowd.

“They just really wanted to expand beyond celebrating Irish culture at St. Patrick’s Day,” said Colleen Doyle, marketing chair for West Suburban Irish. “It really is just such a great way to celebrate our history as Irish and honestly, it’s for anybody who just who loves music (and) outside festivals.”

The main event kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, in Central Park and goes until 10 p.m. Day two runs from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19.

Throughout both days, a number of Irish dance ensembles and musical acts will take the stage, featuring everything from the more traditional sounds of bagpipes to modern twists on folk music.

“The Chancers, they’re a little bit more rebel, so they refer to themselves as an Irish rebel folk music. It’s a lot of fun,” Doyle said. “Celtic Roots is heart and soul of Irish music, and they blend traditional Irish tunes with contemporary folk.”

Visitors can also check out different vendors at the Irish Village, where they can peruse everything from apparel and knickknacks from Peter Townsend’s Irish Collection to hand-carved shillelaghs from Blackthorn & Bramble.

Attendees who want to connect more deeply with their Irish heritage can visit tents set up by groups like the West Suburban Irish Language Learning Group, which is geared toward those looking to either begin or continue learning Irish Gaelic.

Those feeling peckish can grab a bite to eat from food vendors selling everything from traditional to not-so-traditional fixings, Doyle said. Fans of Irish alcohol can head over to Quigley’s Irish Pub at 5 p.m. Friday for a Guinness tasting.

“The Guinness tasting has a brand ambassador from Guinness (in Ireland) coming over,” Doyle said. “He gets into the history of Guinness, but beyond that, the history of the advertising, the Guinness Book of World Records and how it started with Guinness.”

Quigley’s will host another tasting at 2 p.m. Saturday, focused on Irish whiskey.

“(Participants) get a tasting journal to kind of record some of the flavors and what they liked and whether they would buy it,” Doyle said. “They go away with that tasting journal. It also gives them a history of Irish whiskey and how it came to be, and so it’s just a lot of fun.”

Despite the two tastings, Doyle emphasized this is a family-friendly festival with lots of activities for children, including the kid’s parade that starts at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

“The bagpipers will lead the kids and they parade around the fest grounds. And all the kids get an Irish flag, and they are marching and there’s music and different leprechauns,” Doyle said.

The parade culminates with an interactive story time from West Suburban Irish Board member Kent Schielke.

“It is a storytelling of a book called ‘Too Many Leprechauns,’” Doyle said. “We have characters that are dressed up and they act out the story as it’s being done and it’s just really just so charming and the kids love it.”

While the festival officially ends Saturday, a post-festival celebration at Quigley’s will close out the weekend at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, with a performance from musical group Small Batch.

Naperville Irish Fest is supported by funding from the city’s Special Events and Community Arts program. This year West Suburban Irish received $34,600 to put on the festival, with the rest of the money coming from private sponsors.

“We’re a community festival, and it is about bringing local talent, celebrating local talent with a blend of celebrating Irish culture,” Doyle said. “I think that 69 different community sponsors getting involved is a testament to how much we’re a community.”

Tickets, which are $15 for one person for one day or $25 for two patrons for both days, are available at eventsprout.com/event/2026-naperville-irish-fest. For details, go to wsirish.org.

cstein@chicagotribune.com