For decades, New Year's Eve reigned supreme as the ultimate party night of the year. Downtowns all over the country beefed up their entertainment options, from elaborate dinners to festive outdoor ball drops, often in frigid temps.
But in Grand Rapids, even as the "Wednesday Night Before Thanksgiving" began to take a bite out of New Year's hide, it was the Irish who staged the ultimate coup for the biggest holiday event of the year. Part of this success is due to Irish on Ionia, now in its third year. This street party is huge, and organizers are hoping to triple their numbers since their inaugural year.
Starting at 7 a.m., McFadden's will offer the first 300 people in line a free 'Kegs and Eggs' buffet-style breakfast until 10 a.m. All others will pay a small fee to enter this annual event.
With the gates open early, you can expect a full day of green beer, live music, and the best people watching, as everyone becomes Irish for the day.
This year's music lineup is sure to please with a very diverse variety of acts including Irish band The Waxies and Jammie Award winning local favorite, The Crane Wives. Other acts include Peat in the Creel, An Dro, Gasta, Ardan Academy of Irish Dance, Millish, and The Billies.
The general admission ticket will get you in, but if you leave the park for any reason, it is back in the line to regain entry. However, BarFly Ventures has introduced a new level of ticket that allows you to not only get in quickly, but should you leave and want to return, you will be whisked right in as you bypass the lines (and there will be lines).
For $55, you can become a Very Irish Person (VIP) with all the aforementioned admission perks as well as a limited edition Very Irish Person T-shirt and a 22oz mug, which can be filled for the same price as the 16oz cups sold there.
The capacity of this event is 10,000 people, making it Michigan's largest St. Patty's event, but the organizers expect up to 14,000 people to pass through the gates throughout the day. Buy the VIP if you want the privilege to come and go, because if you do leave during the event, it might be very difficult to get back in later.
Admission: Starting at $10.
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