FAQ
Check out Grafton Street! The Session tent is now located here! Bring your instrument to join a session. You will also find the new whiskey experience, yard games, craft cocktails, and loads more fun.
Thursday 5pm-10pm
Friday 5pm-11pm
Saturday 11am-11pm
Sunday 10:30 am- 6pm (Catholic Mass is at 11am)
Thursday-$10 in advance or at the gate. No discounts can be applied.
Children 12 and under are free, every day.
Friday-$15 in advance and $20 at the gate. No discounts can be applied.
Children 12 and under are free, every day.
Saturday-$25 in advance and $35 at the gate. No discounts can be applied.
Children 12 and under are free, every day.
Arrive on Sunday from 10:30 am until Noon and receive FREE admission.
Sunday- $10 in advance and $15 at the gate. No discounts can be applied.
Children 12 and under are free, every day.
Weekend Pass for only $50 in advance and $65 at the gate.
The lower priced tickets online will run through Thursday, August 31, then raise to regular price through the festival. They will still be available online.
You can buy online on our website by clicking the Tickets Tab.
Tickets can also be purchased at the box office onsite. The box office will open 30 minutes prior to opening on each day of the Festival. No refunds on ticket sales.
Yes, all volunteers receive free entry on the day they volunteer, plus a great t-
shirt!
The festival has an easy to use Blarney Bucks system. All food and beverage purchases must be made with Blarney Bucks. There are 3 locations to purchase Blarney Bucks and they are valid all weekend long. During peak times Blarney Bucks roving sellers are also on the grounds in the crowd. Blarney Bucks are in $1 increments; buy $1 at a time, or go ahead and purchase $30 to get you started. All food and drink items are in $1 increments.
Yes, all areas of the Festival accept credit cards: Festival Admission, Blarney
Bucks, Festival Merchandise, and Artist Merchandise. Many of the vendors in
the Market and Store also accept credit cards. You will also find an ATM
onsite for cash withdrawals (fees may apply).
Yes, there is an ATM on site. (fees may apply)
Yes, there is a wide variety of authentic Irish food and festival food available.
Food vendors also sell pop, water, lemonade, ice cream and other sweet
treats. There are plenty of domestic and craft beer choices, along with others
like cider, wine, Irish cream, and whiskey as well as tea. All food and beverages must be purchased using Blarney Bucks, no cash sales are permitted. No outside food or beverages permitted, with exception of baby formula/food. Bring your empty refillable water container and refill at our water stations.
Refunds are not available on unused Blarney Bucks. If you have Blarney Bucks left over, consider dropping them in a tip jar at the bars, or on a courtesy cart shuttle. All tips will go to a local food pantry.
Yes, please use 1051 7th Street, Muskegon, MI 49440 so you can get the best directions to the festival.
The festival parking is located at the Mart Dock. Park for $10 and help the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex & USS LST 393 Veterans Museum. Free Courtesy Cart shuttles are available to all. Handicap-accessible parking is also available at the Mart Dock. The Mart Dock parking is safe and well lit. There is ample street parking in the surrounding blocks of the festival site. Patrons must be able to get on and disembark the Courtesy Cart unassisted. Courtesy Carts will pick up and drop off at designated Transportation tents, delivery to your vehicle is not available with this service.
Join the other fans’ in The Tavern for televised sports throughout the weekend, including Notre Dame.
MIMF is a 100% volunteer-produced festival relying on over 1,600 volunteers
every year. We would love your help! To signup, go to michiganirish.org and
click the VOLUNTEER tab on the website. Complete a profile and tell us when
and what you would like to do at the festival. The closer we get to the festival
the more likely jobs will be filled and we will assign you where the need is the
greatest.
Yes! Join in the Hooley on Friday night at the Grafton stage and you can learn
a step or two. Also, various dance groups throughout the weekend will be on
the Galway stage. On Saturday night, the Parade of Champions will perform
on the Galway stage.
Visit our website at www.michiganirish.org and click on the Feis link.
Send a media kit to Michigan Irish Music Festival/Entertainment Committee, 2743 Henry Street #231, Muskegon, MI 49441. Electronic kits can be emailed to booking@michiganirish.org
Food and beverages are available at the event. Absolutely no outside
beverages, food, coolers, alcohol, weapons, fireworks or pets are allowed.
Exceptions made for baby formula/food. Service dogs are allowed. Carry in
items like bags, purses, backpacks are subject to search. Baby formula or
medication is of course allowed. Please feel free to bring a lawn chair, we have loads of seating, but you are welcome to bring your own. The festival is not responsible for articles lost, stolen, or misplaced. Bring your empty refillable water container and refill at our water stations.
No outside coolers are allowed.
We love your pets but ask that they stay home where they will be more comfortable. Registered service dogs are the exception.
There are a limited number of picnic tables, chairs, and bleachers on site. Bringing your own chair is always a good idea.
We are thrilled that your friends are coming to the show, but please don’t save
chairs. We have plenty of chairs to go around and people like to get their spot
in front of the stage. So until your entire group is with you, other patrons may
take the seat next to you.
The festival grounds contain lovely cemented paths but they do not lead to every tent. These cemented paths do occasionally have an electrical cord covering (like a speed bump) for patron safety. Going “off road” is difficult in a typical wheelchair or scooter so we recommend you bring a friend to help. Motor chairs work great on any of the terrain unless there is lots of rain.
Yes, they are located west of the G&L County Cork stage, on your way to County Kerry.
Certainly, we do! Each set of women’s bathrooms are equipped with a rocking chair, changing table and even some extra wipes if you run out. We love our Wee Ones! Our Powder Room volunteers will take great care of you.
Yes, the Wee Ones’ area is open Friday from 5-7:30pm, Saturday 11am-7:30pm, and Sunday 11am-4pm. Located in County Kerry you will find free crafts, storytelling, Storytime from the Hackley Library, Irish Cinderella, face
painting and more. Check the schedule for a full list of scheduled events.
Yes, Sunday morning at 11am, Fr. Michael Olson will be the celebrant for the Celtic Mass. Admission is free between 10:30am and noon on Sunday, so stay all day for free!
Unfortunately, we don’t have the Highland Games on our schedule this year,
but check out the Cultural stage schedule this year.
Yes, the Delta by Marriott features a live Irish band both Friday and Saturday night from 10pm until 1am. You can also catch Irish music on Thursday evening from 8-10pm at the Delta. *times are subject to change.
Yes. You can find many non-alcoholic beverages at the food vendors booths (lemonade, water, soda, and coffee). Be sure to check out the Tea House for Barry’s Tea (both hot and iced) featuring a lovely view of Muskegon Lake. Each main entertainment tent features a bar with a variety of beer (domestic and craft), wine, seltzers, Five Farms Irish Cream, and whiskey mixed drinks. For a unique experience, visit Grafton Street for premium whiskey drams and craft cocktails, including Five Farms Irish Cream Martinis, and locally curated alcohol from Wonderland Distillery. Looking for a large variety of craft beers? Check-out The Tavern to see what’s on tap!
We have lots of people that attend Irish Fest, and they are hungry! We want to make sure there is something for everyone. You’ll find a variety of different foods at the festival! Enjoy!
Canned tuna, soup, fruit, vegetables and peanut butter are all great choices.
Please make sure your items are not out of date. We are collecting non-
perishable food items for a local food pantry. Drop your donation at the
Welcome Center, near the front gate.
Pigeon Hill, Unruly, and Fetch all have beers on tap at The Tavern, plus you will find other local Michigan brews there too.
You’ll find the main whiskey experience in Grafton Street. New this year is a limited selection of whiskey at the Pub and Belfast tents. Don’t miss the craft cocktails made with Wonderland Distillery whiskey and gin.
We recycle all of the plastic drink cups, aluminum cans, and cardboard from all of the vendors. Check near the garbage cans, there should be a recycle container right nearby.
We are all so busy swimming in our awesome lakes in the summer, plus having the festival in September helps with our tourism efforts of bringing guests to Muskegon during a “shoulder season”. We also work with other Irish festivals to space out the weekends so we can get the entertainers that are on the touring circuit”.
