Welcome to Seattle Center
SEATTLE, WA — Get a taste of what it means to be Irish at Irish Festival Seattle, returning to Seattle Center Armory Food & Event Hall on Saturday, March 14, from noon–6 p.m., and Sunday, March 15, from 10 a.m.–6 p.m., as part of Seattle Center Festál. Presented in partnership with the Irish Heritage Club (IHC), this free, all-ages festival celebrates Irish heritage, culture, and arts through music, dance, language, history, and crafts.
Irish Festival Seattle is part of Irish Week 2026 (March 7–15), a landmark, week-long celebration of Irish culture, heritage, and community across the region. This year’s Irish Week honors the 40th anniversary of the Seattle–Galway Sister City Association, celebrating four decades of friendship and cultural exchange between the two cities.
Over the weekend, audiences can enjoy energetic live performances from local Irish step-dancing troupes, including Comerford Irish Dance, Haley Prendergast School of Irish Dance, Grafton Street Academy of Irish Dance, Carroll-Henderson School of Irish Dance, Cladach Dance, Rowan Fae Irish Dance Company, West Seattle Irish Dance, Fire and Ice Irish Dance Company, and Tara Academy of Irish Dance. Traditional and contemporary Irish music will fill the Armory with performances by CAVORT, The Home Rulers with Susan Burke, Keltoi, and others, inviting audiences to tap their toes — or join in the dancing themselves.
For adults 21 and over, the celebration will continue upstairs at the Irish Bar in The Loft, and feature live music by The Wild Geese, That Irish Guy, Nick Kelly of The Fat Lady Sings, Raising Slane, The Morrigans, and more. Festivalgoers can also test their knowledge at The Irish Pub Quiz 2026, hosted by the Seattle Gaels, while enjoying classic Irish beverages.
Beyond music and dance, Irish Festival Seattle will offer a wide range of experiences for all ages, including cultural exhibits, films, genealogy advice, tin whistle classes, an art exhibition, a lecture series, and hands-on activities for kids and families. There will also be a marketplace featuring Apple Cox Design, Carbony ™ Celtic Winds, The Celtic Jewelry Studio - Celtic Jewelry with an Ancient Story, Dot Candles Seattle, The Fancy Accent Tea Company, Beannaigh Traditional Handknitting, and others.
“There is one day a year when everybody wants to be Irish or at least be part of the Irish celebration. St. Patrick’s Day is marked around the world by our diaspora and enjoyed by the millions who help us celebrate,” said Mark Kohler, IHC executive director. “Seattle and the Pacific Northwest can come and sample a slice of Ireland at the Seattle Center for the festival.”
“Irish Festival is a vibrant Seattle Center Festál weekend that welcomes everyone into the close-knit Irish community to celebrate the richness of Irish culture,” said Heidi Jackson, Seattle Center managing artistic director of cultural programs. “It’s a joyful mix of memorable fun, discovery, and shared joy.”
Irish Festival Seattle is part of Seattle Center Festál, a year-round series of 25 free cultural festivals which embrace the region’s diversity and cultivate a deeper understanding of the cultures which contribute to the vibrancy of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.
About Irish Festival History
St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated annually in Seattle since the latter half of the 1800s, always involving parties and dances, and often involving impromptu, but unofficial parades. The first official St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Seattle was held in 1972, and a parade has been held every year since then to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Starting in the late 1970s, cultural events were organized in connection with the parade and were held in various locations until the first Irish Festival Seattle at Seattle Center in 1982. This festival helps to fulfill IHC’s mission to promote Irish cultural activities in Western Washington, such as performances of Irish music and dancing, access to Irish language, history, Gaelic games, and cultural exchanges with Seattle’s sister City of Galway, Ireland. Irish Festival Seattle attracts thousands of attendees to the Seattle Center Armory each year and offers an annual feast of free Irish entertainment.
About the Irish Heritage Club
The Irish Heritage Club of Seattle is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Irish culture and traditions through inclusive events and activities. We invite participation from all who share an interest in Irish heritage throughout Seattle and the State of Washington. Information on the Irish Heritage Club is available at www.irishclub.org and www.seattlecenter.com, as well as on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
About Seattle Center Festál
Seattle Center Festál is a unique public program series of 25 free cultural festivals, each offering its own celebration of heritage and identity. These community-produced events provide a range of engaging programs and activities to cultivate a deeper understanding of our region’s diversity through immersive performances, food, arts, and educational programming. Collectively, the festivals welcome approximately 400,000 visits annually, generate an estimated $30 million in economic activity, support more than 250 jobs, and engage thousands of volunteers, artists, and small business vendors.
Seattle Center Festál is presented in partnership between Seattle Center and 25 community-based organizations, with support from the City of Seattle, Seattle Center Foundation, and 4Culture's Sustained Support and Free/Reduced Access programs. Additional support for Festál 2026 is provided by 2025 charitable donations from the Snoqualmie Tribe, and ArtsFund's Community Accelerator Grant funded by Allen Family Philanthropies.
About Seattle Center — The Cultural Heart of the Pacific Northwest
Seattle Center is a 74-acre civic, arts, and cultural gathering place in the heart of Seattle and home to more than 30 partner organizations, including Climate Pledge Arena, KEXP, MOPOP, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Opera, Pacific Science Center, SIFF, and many others. Anchored by world-class attractions, historic venues, public art, and a dynamic calendar of free and affordable events centered around the iconic International Fountain, Seattle Center serves residents and visitors of all ages year-round.
As a department of the City of Seattle and anchor of the Uptown Arts and Cultural District, Seattle Center is an inclusive destination where community comes together through arts, culture, and public life, serving residents from across Seattle and the Puget Sound region alongside visitors from around the world. In partnership with Friends of Waterfront Seattle, Seattle Center also manages the City’s new Waterfront Park, providing cultural programming, operations, and civic care along Seattle’s downtown waterfront.
Over the past three years, Seattle Center has welcomed 11 to 12 million visits annually, with the majority of visits coming from the Seattle and Puget Sound region and is projected to reach 12.5 to 13.5 million visits in 2026. This activity generates more than $1 billion in visitor spending, contributes more than $2 billion in regional economic impact, and supports more than 18,600 jobs.
With the support of our Official Partners — Alaska Airlines, The Climate Pledge, Coors Light, Pepsi, Symetra, T-Mobile, and WaFd Bank — Seattle Center is the #1 most-visited arts and cultural destination in the Pacific Northwest. www.seattlecenter.com
Contact
Madison Miller
(425) 246-5468 | madison@whyforgood.com
