Iowa Irish Fest brings nearly 50,000 attendees from across the globe to Waterloo, Iowa for a three-day cultural festival. The annual festival hosts over 75 live shows dedicated to celebrating Irish culture in Iowa during the first part of August. For the last decade, Wired Production Group has been a part of the event production team, providing audio, lighting, staging, LED, and video production services to the festival.
Behind the Scenes at Iowa Irish Fest
Since the festival’s inception in 2007, Iowa Irish Festival has grown in attendance year after year, bringing in musical artists and live performances from all over the world. The event began with small goals as part of the Cedar Valley Irish Cultural Association’s mission to foster and develop Irish fellowship and outreach into the community with Irish cultural events and programs. Over the last nearly 20 years, the volunteer-led event has brought in thousands for multiple days of entertainment and education across various stages, covering 12 city blocks surrounding Lincoln Park in Downtown Waterloo.
The festival is championed by more than 80 volunteers who make the magic happen. One of the behind-the-scenes volunteers is the Entertainment Chair, Greg Tagtow. Greg manages the live music lineup for the festival, which includes multiple world-class Irish musicians. Many of the musical performances come from the heart of Ireland.
Beyond coordinating the entertainers’ needs, Wired Production Group has the opportunity to work with the Festival Director, Chad Shipman, to provide support and guidance on the production elements of the year-round event planning process. As part of our services, we offer free consulting services to the Cedar Valley Cultural Association and Iowa Irish Fest to help grow their festival each year.
Wired Production Group has designed and built the Nagle/KWWL Stage in Lincoln Park to be the center of attention for the festival. This stage has two LED screens that allow attendees from all across the park to experience live entertainment throughout the three-day event.
Additionally, the Lincoln Savings Bank Stage is set up just two blocks away from the park, with a 24×20 SL100 mobile stage filling the street. This allows attendees across Lafayette Street and E. 4th Street in Waterloo to dance the night away. This stage is situated between multiple local bars, hosting various entertainment as well as food and beverage specials for the festival goers.
“Irish Fest is one of my favorite events to work on because it is a long weekend of good food and music. It’s always nice to see some of the artists from previous years and meet new artists every year, too. They’re all easy to work with, and it’s awesome to see people so excited about Irish culture in Iowa.”
Dates for the 19th annual Iowa Irish Fest have been announced. Festival fans will fill the streets of Downtown Waterloo from August 1st through August 3rd, 2025. The schedule for the summer festival will be announced in the spring, so fans can expect a full lineup packed with fun, music, and all things Irish.
Interested in more information on concert production services?
Wired Production Group has over 30 years of extensive experience in concert production for events of all sizes. Our team is ready to provide sound, staging, lighting design, LED, and video production services to fit your concert’s needs. Connect with our team to start planning the details of your next concert production.