"Music, a little bit of drinking, and family time. It's really important," said Stacey Friel of Upper Dublin, Pennsylvania. "We all just come down and kind of enjoy each other for three days."
The North Wildwood Irish Fall Festival, a post-summer tradition, brought together longtime attendees and newcomers alike. At Keenan's Irish Pub, patrons enjoyed lunchtime drinks and reminisced about past festivals.
"Years ago, I think it was a little more crazy than it is now," said Dana Crumlish of Wilmington, Delaware. When asked if the event had mellowed over time, she replied, "Yes."
Festival president Jim Grugan compared the event's significance to another beloved Philadelphia tradition. "I equate it to our Mummers," he said. "Right after the festival, we start planning for next year."
The weekend lineup includes a 5K run, a Mass, and a parade, making it one of several shoulder-season events that continue to draw crowds to the Jersey Shore after Labor Day. Local businesses welcomed the influx of visitors.
"It's great for the town's economy," said Bob DiBenedetto, a bartender at Keenan's. "It's great for all the bar owners and restaurant owners. It's just that extra weekend that really puts you over the top."
For some, the festival holds deeply personal meaning. Mary Theresa Killian of Glenside, Pennsylvania, shared that Irish Weekend is where her family story began.
"This is where our family got started. We met at Irish Weekend, my husband and I," she said. "We got engaged at the Anglesea Pub. And now we're bringing our baby back to the Anglesea Pub."
The Irish Fall Festival continues through the weekend, while other events like the Jeep Invasion in Ocean City and additional fall festivities aim to keep visitors coming to the shore well into October.