Pittsburgh Irish Festival Inc — Attraction in Swissvale

My 1st time, and it was wonderful! Don't listen to the old reviews about parking as that was the old location. I paid the $12 to park and parking was SUPER close to the entrance while my bf paid for our tickets - and I can see exactly what the money goes toward.

I don't understand the reviews thinking everything is free. Also the folks are volunteers, and I witnessed a patron verbally aggressive to them bc she thought her pen knife would be perfectly acceptable to get in. So, these are some of the reviews - ppl wanting free and ppl wanting to bring their knives in.

Anyway, multiple stages of entertainment. We loved Ally the Piper with the backdrop being the old furnace. Multiple places for food and drink samples spread out as well as seating to eat at. If you've been to Picklesbugh, Soul food fest, you'll know that you mainly have to stand and eat your food. They had other entertainment like axe throwing, virtual reality, put put golf and a kids area. I was also delighted to see the Irish dogs there.

I had the Irish stew over baked potato, and it was so large, I took it to go to finish for my dinner. So good! Also sampled some mead wine and whiskeys. Porta potties were clean although the sinks were out of order when we...

Festival was a complete rip off. Not even to the shuttle and told I wasn't allowed to take my sealed unopened water bottle with me, even though the website states that you are allowed one unopened water bottle per person. $22 admission, $12 to park, rude security (bunch of mall guards on a power trip), and horribe overpriced food. The shepherds pie tasted like instant potatoes with beef gravy and veggies...could have gotten a KFC bowl for less than half that price. The bangers and mash was a cheaper than Jimmy Dean's breakfast sausage and terrible....another $16 down the toilet. Can't go wrong with a gyro, right? $12 and it was burnt. A coffee with Irish cream was $16. Beers were $9. For what you paid for admission, a free tour of the blast furnace would have been nice, but another admission price for that. You walk on gravel the whole time too. The entertainment was good, but it wasn't worth the price of admission. The only thing good about this festival was the Irish Cream sample, but, sadly they weren't selling bottles of it. Definitely won't return to this festival in the future. Will instead go to the Renaissance Festival, with free parking, and more activities and...

It is really sad to leave a one start review on the Irish fest. I used to love going. Now you pay to park 20 mins away from the front door. Why pay for parking if you have to walk a mile? Then you pay to get in which I’m fine with if it’s enjoyable but the food this year was average. I had pierogies were mrs. tees, the Irish stew was great, the Shepard’s pie was from a can, the sausage was from the local grocery store, just regular links about 1/2” thick by 3” long. The music this year was average, I miss Gaelic storm. To be honest the renaissance fair is 10 times better. Your paying to shop for cheap made Irish wares. There were a few nice hand made items. Hats, kilts were ok, and some other items. I just felt like it was a flea market that you pay to go to. Save your money and go to trader jacks. I’m sorry. I am a die hard Irishman that loves anything Irish. This event used to be so fun. Maybe someday it will go back to the way it used to be until then I will...