First-Ever Naperville Irish Fest Promises Fun For Whole Family

NAPERVILLE, IL — Naperville's popular West Suburban Irish Parade was canceled in 2021 for the second year in a row, but parade organizers plan to make up for it in a big way with the first-ever Naperville Irish Fest, set for Aug. 6 and Aug. 7 at Frontier Sports Complex.

Terry O'Dowd, vice president of West Suburban Irish, who is chairing Naperville Irish Fest along with his wife, Marjorie, told Patch he wanted to make sure the two-day event offers something for the whole family. The O'Dowds have taken their five grandchildren to other Irish festivals, but noticed there was "not enough entertainment for the families," Marjorie said.

Fun for Kids

To fill that gap, Naperville Irish Fest will feature carnival rides and a designated kids' zone with bounce houses, face painting, fire trucks, a craft area and a water balloon toss. Staff from 95th Street Library will offer whimsical, interactive stories at 95th Street Community Plaza.

Kids will also have a chance to visit Chicago White Sox mascot "Southpaw" and pet Irish wolfhounds, which Marjorie described as "very docile" and "ginormous, beautiful dogs."

Carnival rides and games will be available along a midway from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 6 and from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 7.

Live Entertainment

Two stages will offer a "wide array of musical styles" throughout Naperville Irish Fest, Marjorie told Patch. The lineup includes three groups of Irish dancers, famous Irish tenor Paddy Homan and rock cover bands.

Roaming bagpipers will tour the festival on foot, offering Irish tunes throughout the festival grounds. A leprechaun and St. Patrick himself also slated to make an appearance.

Some of the weekend's featured entertainment —Irish karaoke, for instance— calls for audience interaction. Irish dancers will teach a festival goers a traditional Irish jig. A tent will be set up to host Irish music sessions that encourage viewers to sing along or play along if they have an instrument.

"It's a really nice, Irish flavor," Marjorie said.

Click the link to get a peek at all the entertainment planned for Naperville Irish Fest.

Hurling Tournament

Naperville Irish Fest will also feature teams from around the midwest competing in an official hurling tournament and championship game on Aug. 7 from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. A hurling demonstration will be held Aug. 6.

“This is huge because hurling is the number one sport in Ireland," Marjorie told Patch.

In hurling, players use a wooden stick to propel a ball across a field in an attempt to get it through the opposing team's goal.

“You can kick the ball, catch the ball, swing the ball. It’s wild," Marjorie said.

"More Than Carnival Food"

Naperville Irish Fest aims to offer "more than carnival food" for visitors who need to refuel, though there will be traditional carnival favorites available as well. The refreshment selection will include brick oven-fired pizza, a donut truck and "plenty of beer," Marjorie said.

The Original Rainbow Cone truck will also be on hand to serve up its famous stacked ice cream cones, a hit with kids and kids-at-heart alike.

A Little Bit Of Irish

Vendors will be onsite selling pre-packaged Irish food throughout the fest, along with traditional Irish clothing, accessories and knickknacks. The O'Dowds said visitors can stop by the West Suburban Irish booth for a chance to win Irish-themed prizes or score a trip to Ireland.

Why Naperville

"Naperville is a festival city," Terry told Patch. By his estimate, there are around 25,000 Irish households in Naperville alone.

Terry said they settled on Naperville for the organization's inaugural Irish Fest because they felt the city is "family-friendly." Marjorie added that Naperville's family-oriented atmosphere lines up with their mission to bring fun for the whole family, "from grandma on down to babies in strollers."

Tickets To Naperville Irish Fest

A one-day ticket to Naperville Irish Fest is $10 online until Aug. 5 and $15 at the festival. Two-day tickets are $15 online until Aug. 5 and $30 at the festival. Children 15 and under get in free.

Click the link to buy tickets for Naperville Irish Fest.