20 Things You May Not Know About 2013 KC Irish Fest

The KC Irish Festival  at Crown Center has put together a guide of 20 things you may not know about what goes on during Irish Fest weekend, and sent them out in its latest newsletter. Roughly speaking they are:

1. You can get free admission - by being a volunteer
2. There is a Capitol Federal Children's area, (for Capitol Federal Children?).It's big and there's loads of free activities.
3. You can talk to someone in Ireland..The Culture Cafe will be letting you Skype with Tourism Ireland experts via Facebook.
4. If comedy is your thing you can see one of Ireland's funniest female,  Maeve Higgins, for only $5 (It's the same price even if comedy isn't your thing)
5. Irish dignitaries will be attending. Tom Hayes TD - Minister of State at Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Aidan Cronin - Consulate General  of Ireland; Dr John Dardis - Agriculture and Food Counsellor at the Embassy of Ireland in Washington DC. Collect their autographs.
6. There is a private area - for drinks, food, shade, seats - and toilets. It's called The Snug, and you have to pay for membership.
7. Performances will be streamed online.
8. Friday is cheaper. Admission to the festival on Friday is $5, and the Snug is $75.
9. There's an art exhibition. It's in the Washington Park area of the festival.
10. There's a travel area. You can plan a trip to Ireland.
11. Syfy's Irish ghost-hunter Barry Fitzgerald will be there exploring the Banshee.
12. There are culture workshops where you can learn to speak Irish (Gaelic), watch hurling, and learn how to céilí dance.
13. There is a tribute to the KC fire department. It includes presentations and demonstrations of contemporary techniques and equipment by today’s fire fighters
14. Whiskey tastings and bee tastings, you can do them at the festival.
15. You can win a trip to Ireland. If you buy a raffle ticket and your ticket is the winning ticket.
16. Contests in baking, knitting, photography and art take place at the festival.
17. There's a big outdoor Catholic Mass on Sunday morning. 
18. You can find out about your own Irish story - with the help of festival genealogy experts.
19. The Kansas City Irish Festival has an app for both iPhone and Android
20. In the entertainment section there are over 30 performers on 7 stages.

2013 Kansas City Irish Fest at Crown Center

The 2013 Kansas City Irish Fest is listed on the events at Crown Center with the following details included: Date: 8/30/2013 - 9/1/2013 Time: Friday 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Sat/Sun 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Cost: $5 Friday tickets. $10 advance Saturday or Sunday tickets, $15 at the gate on Saturday/Sunday, $25 advance three-day tickets. Duration: 3 or more hours Location: Crown Center Square

The festival will feature more than two dozen locally and nationally known bands, playing traditional music and Celtic rock. Off Center Theatre will host Irish comics.

See KC's Crown Center event listing here

'Head to Kansas City for the Irish Festival in August' says the Examiner

Examiner.com urges you to go to the Kansas City Irishfest in August 2013:

The 11th annual Kansas City Irish Festival will get underway in downtown Kansas City, Missouri August 30 through September 1, 2013. This 3-day event, which takes places at Hallmark's Crown Center Square in downtown, has been consistently voted best festival. The "Celebration of Celtic Pride in Cowtown" is truly a family event, with everything from bouncy inflatables and craft area for the kids to on-stage entertainers and beer and whiskey tastings for the adults.

Read more about the 2013 KC Irish fest on Examiner.com Examiner.com is a top 100 website, reaching over 37 million unique visitors a month. Examiner.com is wholly owned by The Anschutz Corporation, one of the largest sports and entertainment companies in the world.

Damien Dempsey Starts US Tour at KC Irish Fest

Dublin's Damien Dempsey, the contemporary folk singer-songwriter of social commentary, starts his 2013 American tour in Kansas City.

Damo performs at the Irish festival in KC on the afternoons of Saturday August 31 and Sunday September 1, before continuing on with a load of gigs in September at pubs, halls, and more Irish festivals.


04/09/2013  Chicago, Lincoln Hall

05/09/2013  Asbury, NJ, 610 Bangs

06/09/2013  Boston, Brighton Music Hall

07/09/2013  New York, Bowery Ballroom

09/09/2013  New London, CT, Hanafins Pub

10/09/2013  Philadelphia, World Cafe Live

11/09/2013  Washington DC, The Hamilton

13/09/2013  Michigan Irish Festival

14/09/2013  Michigan Irish Festival

Damo on the Phone to Kansas City
Read a transcript of an interview with Damien Dempsey done by phone from Dublin to KC

Music at the 2013 KC Irish Fest

Music announced to be performing at the 2013 KC Irish Festival in Kansas City, Missouri includes:

• Damien Dempsey    
• The Elders
• We Banjo 3    
• David Munnelly & Mick Conneely    
• Skerryvore    
• The Ollam    
• The clumsy Lovers    
• Whiskey of the Damned  
• Chance the Arm  
• Seamus Kennedy
• Open the Door for Three 
• Ian Gould    
• Bob Reeder    
• Guggenheim Grotto  
• Eddie Delahunt & Friends    
• Ashley Davis    
• Rattle and Hum    
• Flannigan's Right Hook  
• Fraoch    
• $3 Band    
• She's a Keeper    
• Burning Bridge Cleary    
• Scarlet Town    
• Tallymoore  
• Tullamore

And more

The 2013 Irish fest in KC takes place on Friday August 30 to Sunday September 1 of Labor Day Weekend.