The 2019 Pittsburgh Irish Festival moves to the The Lots at Sandcastle for 29th Anniversary.
The 29th Annual Pittsburgh Irish Festival will be held September 6-7-8, 2019 at The Lots at Sandcastle. This move is due to a severe flood that occurred during the 2018 event. “The Lots” refers to the Sandcastle water park main parking lot.
During the 2018 Pittsburgh Irish Festival, Pittsburgh faced its second highest rain fall ever recorded. That rain fall resulted in a total flood of the event grounds and forced the cancellation of the Festival’s third day.
“This move will eliminate weather as a factor that can negatively impact the event,” said Mairin Petrone, Pittsburgh Irish Festival Executive Director. “By moving to The Lots, we are able erect additional tents that will provide cover from the elements.”
The Festival staff also notes that this move will provide easier navigation of the Festival site for our patrons.
For anyone concerned about where parking will be with the event moving to The Lots, Petrone says, “Not to worry! Additional parking will be made available on the Sandcastle grounds, including a new premium parking lot option, and guests will have the opportunity to take a shuttle from other nearby lots.”
Details on the new parking options and shuttle service will be released soon on the Festival’s website, pghirishfest.org.
From 1991 to 2006, the Pittsburgh Irish Festival was held in Station Square. In 2007, the event was moved to the Riverplex at Sandcastle in order to grow beyond the limitations of the Station Square space. The move allowed for the addition of two more stages, Gaelic sports demonstrations, additional marketplace vendors, and more.
Festival co-founders, Maura and Nan Krushinski, shared that, “Moving to The Lots in 2019 will give folks who attended the Festival in it’s early years a nostalgic feeling, as it will be similar to the site at Station Square, while also allowing us to maintain the larger footprint that we established at the Riverplex. This move will even provide additional space to continue to grow the event.”
