MICHIGAN IRISH MUSIC FESTIVAL WRAPS UP SUCCESSFUL 25th ANNIVERSARY WITH OUTSTANDING ATTENDANCE AND SALES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Muskegon, Michigan – The 25th Annual Michigan Irish Music Festival, presented by Family Financial Credit Union, has come to a close. Organizers are celebrating a spectacular weekend of music, food, and fun, accentuated by exceptional attendance, strong sales, and remarkable volunteer turnout. Held over four days in Downtown Muskegon, the 2024 festival drew nearly 19,000 patrons.
Festival Highlights:
- Attendance and Gate Traffic: 4 was another year of sizable crowds. Notably, the festival saw 2,700 attendees within the first hour of opening on Friday evening. Attendance also spiked on Sunday, surpassing previous years.
- Outstanding Sales: The festival saw impressive sales across its food, beverage, and merchandise offerings. The Blarney Bucks program performed strongly, reaching its second-highest year in sales with a 7% increase over the previous year.
- Food & Beverage Success: Food vendor sales were up double digits from last year. Highlights included the popular Aldea Lavender Lemonade from the Tea Room, and the addition of food offerings from Wonderland Distilling Company received rave reviews from both attendees and festival volunteers.
- Musical & Entertainment Programming: The festival featured 6 stages with a total of 5,010 minutes of live music and entertainment. Performers captivated audiences throughout the
event, which saw both established and emerging talent showcased across the festival grounds. - Volunteer Impact: Over 1,400 volunteers dedicated their time to the festival, with 25% of volunteers participating for the rst time. Kris (Collee) Vanderstelt, Volunteer Coordinator, noted that volunteer satisfaction was high, with 91% of respondents rating their experience positively. As an event put on solely by volunteers, having a positive experience is of the utmost importance.
- Philanthropy: With a focus on mitigating food insecurity in the community, the festival was thrilled to highlight two local nonprofit organizations – Meals on Wheels and Kids Food Basket – with donations of over $6600 each. Additionally, proceeds of the Nonperishables Drive at the festival were provided to Mission for Area People to help meet basic needs in the community. Further, through various avenues including nonprofit volunteers, tips, and the collection at Sunday Mass, the festival made donations to 6 additional local nonprofit organizations. The
giving for 2024 totaled $50,000, which brings the festival’s lifetime philanthropy to more than $450,000.
Looking Ahead: As the dust settles from this year’s festival, the team is already looking ahead to 2025. Plans are underway to enhance the volunteer experience, rene processes, and continue
expanding the festival’s entertainment offerings. The success of new and expanded programming in areas like Grafton Street will inform future decisions aimed at enhancing the guest experience.
“We are extremely proud of the success of the festival over the last twenty five years,” said Kevin Donovan, Festival President. “We focus on producing a high-quality festival that promotes Irish culture and heritage while enhancing the community through entertainment, tourism, education, and philanthropy. It’s clear that the Michigan Irish Music Festival continues to grow and evolve as a signature event for the community. We look forward to building on this success for the next twenty five years!”
Along with presenting sponsor Family Financial Credit Union, other major sponsors of the festival include G&L Chili Dogs, Langlois Home Furnishings, The Mart Dock, and Budweiser.
For more information, please visit www.michiganirish.org and follow us on social media.