La Crosse celebrates Irishfest for the 19th year this weekend

We’re a month past Riverfest in La Crosse, and Oktoberfest is still several weeks from now.

Between those two popular festivals, La Crosse celebrates Irish heritage this weekend.

The 19th annual Irishfest opened Friday afternoon at the Oktoberfest grounds. Festival president Pat Stephens recalled that the event resulted from a discussion two decades ago among four area couples, during a get-together in Onalaska.

Stephens said the founders of Irishfest were determined to “give it their all, for at least 10 years, if it lasted that long.”

The festival made its debut in 2005 and is traditionally held in August.

It usually falls on a week between Irish festivals in Minneapolis and Milwaukee, so performers who appear at either or both of those events can easily add La Crosse to their schedules.

“Here we are, year 19,” Stephens said, “and we’ve already got plans for the 20th, for next year.”

The U.S. and Irish national anthems were sung during the opening ceremony, outside the festgrounds.

There’s lots of entertainment, food and drink available at the three-day festival.

But Irishfest also features exhibits about Irish heritage, tug-of-war competitions, a fiddle contest, and sheep shearing demonstrations.