Marin Irish Festival — Celtic Music & Maypole

Red Barn Productions brought the Marin Irish Festival back to Lagoon Park at the Marin County Fairgrounds in San Rafael on May 16 and 17, billing it as a Beltane celebration of Irish music, dance, food, drink and craft. The two-day event ran from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, according to the festival website and Marin Center ticketing page. Organizers said the program included live entertainment, a maypole dance, craft and food vendors, sheepdog demonstrations, falconry and a lakeside pub. A local events column by The Voice of San Francisco highlighted the festival in its May 14-20 roundup. ### When and where did the festival take place? Lagoon Park at the Marin County Fairgrounds was the site of the festival on Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, 2026. The official festival site listed the venue as “Beautiful Lagoon Park, Marin County Fairgrounds,” while Marin Center’s ticketing page carried the same location and hours. San Rafael was the host city for the event, which the United Irish Cultural Center of San Francisco described as the “3rd Annual Marin Irish Festival & Céilí on the Lake Championship.” The center said the fairgrounds site sits off Highway 101. ### What was actually on offer beyond music? Six stages of entertainment were one of the festival’s main selling points, according to the festival website and ticketing page. Marin Center also listed more than 40 craft vendors, along with sheepdog demonstrations, falconry and a sanctioned feis, or Irish dance competition. The maypole dance was part of the public-facing program. Marin Center’s event listing told attendees to “bring a picnic blanket, your favorite instrument, and join the Maypole dance with us,” tying the weekend to the Beltane theme used across festival promotions. Food, drink and crafts were central to the pitch. The festival website said visitors could expect traditional Irish foods and drink, while the United Irish Cultural Center said the event offered artisan vendors, traditional foods and a lakeside pub. ### How prominent was dance in the weekend lineup? The Céilí on the Lake Championships opened earlier than the general festival each day, running from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for registered feis competitors, according to Marin Center’s ticketing page. The competition was presented by the Jackie Flynn Irish Dance Academy, the same listing said. The United Irish Cultural Center called the dance championship “a highlight of the weekend” and said it brought together dancers, families and fans for a two-day Irish dance competition. The festival’s own feis page said the championships were registered with the Western U.S. Region of the Irish Dance Teachers’ Association of North America and An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha. ### Who was behind the event? Red Barn Productions produced the festival. The official site identified the company as the producer of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair and the original Renaissance Pleasure Faire. The United Irish Cultural Center of San Francisco said it was a sponsor of the 2026 edition. Its event page also promoted a UICC tent with Irish cultural programming, including dance performances, language activities, children’s story time, crafts and displays tied to Irish history and step dancing. ### How much did it cost to attend? Marin Center listed one-day adult admission at $30 and child admission, for ages 5 through 11, at $15. Two-day passes were listed at $50 for adults and $25 for children, with free admission for children 4 and under. Tickets were available online and at the gate, according to both the festival website and the United Irish Cultural Center listing. The Voice of San Francisco’s May 14-20 events roundup also pointed readers to the festival as a standout pick for that weekend.