Brandon Salazar
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Pour one out, Dallas. Preferably something dark, foamy and served with a fiddle in the background. After more than four decades of bagpipes, step dancers and enough Guinness to float a boat, the North Texas Irish Festival is heading north.
The festival announced it will move to Denton’s North Texas Fairgrounds for its 2027 run, set for March 13 – 14. That’s a bittersweet farewell to Fair Park, where the party has lived since 1984. Fun fact for the trivia-inclined: the whole thing kicked off in 1983 at Nick Farrelly’s Lounge in Oak Lawn, billed modestly as the First Texas Céilí, which was a traditional Irish gathering of music, dance and community. It grew into one of the largest Irish festivals in the country, powered by roughly 500 all-volunteer members of the Southwest Celtic Music Association. Those folks deserve a knighthood, or at least free parking for life.
Naturally, the organizers are spinning this as pure sunshine.
“Denton is known for embracing music and creativity,” entertainment director Sheri Bush said in the official press release announcing the move. “Those values align perfectly with what the North Texas Irish Festival has represented for more than four decades. We’re excited to become part of the Denton community while continuing to welcome attendees from across Texas and beyond. We’re heading to greener pastures.”
Greener pastures — she said it, not us. Somewhere, a Dallas tourism official is quietly weeping into a spreadsheet.
Also in the press release, Bush added that the festival “has always been about bringing people together through a shared love of Celtic culture,” noting that Denton offered “an incredible opportunity to continue that tradition while creating new experiences for longtime festivalgoers while welcoming new audiences.”
Denton, for its part, is absolutely giddy. The official press release had Denton’s leadership equally enthusiastic.
“We’re honored that the North Texas Irish Festival has chosen Denton as its new home,” said Denton Mayor Chris Watts in the announcement. “This move reflects our city’s commitment and reputation as a premier destination for arts, culture and community events.”
Kristi Criswell, executive director of Discover Denton — the city’s official tourism organization — piled on the love in the same release: “Denton is proud to become the new home of the North Texas Irish Festival. Welcoming this celebrated event, with more than four decades of history, represents an exciting new chapter for tourism in Denton.”
The public reaction? Split right down the middle. Some Dallasites are in full mourning mode, muttering about how the Mavericks bolted for North Dallas, the Stars are looking to call Plano home, and now even the Irish are leaving. Others are just relieved the festival survives at all, location be darned.
Here’s the kicker: Denton’s own Arts & Jazz Festival got pushed out of Quakertown Park after 35 years and is also relocating to the North Texas Fairgrounds. So, apparently that patch of Denton is now the official group home for displaced North Texas culture.
Two festivals, one fairground, endless irony. Cheers, we guess?
