Something I have always loved going to is the Irish Fair of Minnesota, it is located in St. Paul Minnesota. The fair takes place in early August, every year. As a child, I used to think of it as a pre-state fair it is not nearly as big and is all concentrated on the Irish heritage and experience. The fair was towards the end of the summer, it had great food, great music, and good people. The best part is anyone with any background can go, and enjoy their time there! Whether you are of Irish heritage or not it is worth the trip. The Irish fair promotes and cultivates the Irish culture and strives to preserve a rich heritage of traditions for all generations.
Let’s start with what you need to know: With the hopes that it does not get cancelled due to COVID- 19 this year! The fair this year is from Friday August 7, 3pm- 11pm. Saturday August 8, 10am-11 pm. Until Sunday August 9, 10am- 7pm. The fair grounds are located at 200 Dr Justus Ohage Blvd, St. Paul MN, 55107. For further information about parking use this link: Irish Fair Parking
Some things to look forward to is the food and the music! For food there is a little bit of everything, I like eating burgers, pretzels, fries, almost anything from the fair! What is enticing to me is that you get a taste of traditional Irish cuisine but there are also things there to satisfy even the pickiest eaters. A lot of the food items have an Irish twist to them, or there are Americanized options along with the Irish options. To get an idea of what kinds of foods the fair has to offer the official website offers last year’s Menu. For the authentic food
experience there is a tent called The Celtic Kitchen which offers samples of the authentic Irish foods, it offers how to’s, competitions, and more. Best of all there is plenty of alcohol to go around, there is a wrist band required in order to get a beverage that does cost $5.00. This last year I especially enjoyed Finnegan’s cluster truck IPA, but there are options for everyone.
Music is a must: this year at the fair expect to see
Gaelic Storm- Irish rock band and fan favorite.
Eileen Ivers- The Grammy winning, Emmy nominated original fiddler from Riverdance.
Skerryvore- A Celtic band with a rock twist.
Socks in The Frying Pan- An award-winning band from Ireland.
The Friel Sisters- A talented group of sisters, making their debut this year.
Amongst all of the food and entertainment excitement the fair also offers a few elements to further engage fair goers in Irish culture. Sadly it is not like Oktoberfest where everyone dresses in fancy clothes, instead there are tent experiences to help you immerse into the culture. In the Pavilion there is the Tea Room which is a quieter place which offers tears and bakery items along with some soft Irish music. Also, in the Pavilion is the Cultural Display which has permanent exhibits that show important elements of Irish history and culture. In a tent near the pavilion is the Workshop Tent is the Irish music and dance association, where you can listen to music, watch some performances, and engage in some workshops. There is also Speakers’ Tent which is a great place to learn more about the Irish culture and heritage, they are about 45-minute sessions.
Along with the different tents to experience, there is a chance to meet the Native Irish dogs! Who doesn’t love dogs! They have been a part of the fair since 1985, they are there not only to attract many animal lovers but also help to spread the historical uses of each breed. In the tents which are open from 10am-4 pm, you can ask questions, admire, and pet them. There are eight native breeds, some terriers, spaniels, wolfhounds, etc. 
My favorite breed are the Irish water spaniels, they are very cool looking, they have webbed feet, are large and very fluffy! There is also one parade a day where the dogs take a trip around the fair grounds to show off their beauty.
There are so many amazing things to do at this fair, I hope this sparks your interest! For any other questions check out the official page: The Irish Fair of Minnesota