East Durham Irish Festival
May 24 @ 8:00 am – May 25 @ 5:00 pm
For detailed information about this event go HERE!
The East Durham Irish Festival
The East Durham Irish Festival, held every Memorial Weekend, is in its 48th year! It is one of the longest-running Irish festivals in the country. We celebrate the festival on the Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural & Sports Centre grounds, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to maintaining the traditional aspects of our Irish heritage. We present a variety of Irish cultural programs, both historic and contemporary, in fine arts, language, literature, theater, music, dance, folk arts, and sports.
Memorial Day Weekend: May 24-25, 2025
Friday Night 7:00 pm: Kickoff & Toast to the opening of another festival year at our official festival Beer Garden. Free admission. See details below.
Saturday: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sunday: Holy Mass 10:00 am
Sunday: 12:00 noon – 9:00 pm
East Durham Irish Festival Grounds
2267 Route 145
East Durham, NY
What to Expect
The festival is great for all ages, young & old. We will have many events, workshops, and things to do for kids this year in our Kids Tent: Irish crafts, music lessons, face painting, pony rides, and wild animals. Good Irish food & drink can be found at every corner along with the traditional festival treats.
Strollers & wagons are encouraged for little ones. Bring a blanket to sit on the lawn, but chairs and tables are available in all areas of the festival.
Catholic Mass
There will be a Holy Mass on Sunday, May 25th, at 10:00 am on the grounds in the main pavilion, given again this year by Father Fragomeni, a priest of the Diocese of Albany who has taught since 1990 at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. The Mass is free to all.
Beer Garden
This year, we will kick off the festival Friday night at 6:00 pm in our “Beer Garden”! Come join us for that Irish pub feeling as we toast the opening of another festival year. The Beer Garden will be open for music, singing songs, and meeting friends—old & new. All are welcome. Bring your instrument if you have one. Free admission Friday night—just walk in the gate to the Beer Garden. No vendors will be open.
Donegal Cottage
Our authentic Donegal Cottage will have its opening day for the season both Saturday & Sunday, 12:00 – 6:00 pm. Come visit us and step back in time to see how the Irish lived. We’ll burn some turf bricks, have local artisans, open sessions all day in and outside the cottage, and Irish soda bread. Don’t forget to purchase a commemorative brick to be placed in our largest map of Ireland at the cottage too.
Please Note:
- No outside food or drink is allowed. No outside alcohol is permitted.
- Bags may be subject to inspection.
- No dogs are allowed except for service dogs.
- Handicapped parking is available, and the festival is handicapped accessible. The event is held on lawn, paved, and gravel areas, with two large pavilions and several tents for cover.
