Irish Partnership of Pittsburgh asking for public's help as financial pressure jeopardizes annual festival

A Pittsburgh tradition that has celebrated Irish culture for decades is facing an uncertain future as organizers turn to the community for help. The Irish Partnership of Pittsburgh is launching a campaign to raise $200,000 after years of financial pressures put the Pittsburgh Irish Festival in jeopardy.

"We just really hit a financial place that has put the event in jeopardy for the first time in over 35 years," said Executive Director of the Irish Partnership of Pittsburgh, Mairin Petrone.

Organizers said several setbacks have contributed to the financial challenges, including severe flooding in 2018, relocation expenses, inflation and intense weather during last month's festival.

"We lost about eight hours of our most important hours of our festival weekend," said Petrone.

At the same time, the cost of putting on the festival has continued to climb, especially after rising costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We typically see a 2-3% increase in expenses year after year. During COVID, those numbers were 11-12%, and they didn't go away," said Petrone.

The challenges put more than the annual festival at risk. The Irish Partnership of Pittsburgh also works to keep Irish culture alive in the region through community and educational programs.

"It's not just our organization that's impacted by this. There's a significant ripple effect. To think about the fact this is in jeopardy is humbling. It's scary. It's embarrassing. We hate to have to turn to the community, but we're hoping there are folks out there who want to keep this tradition alive," said Petrone.

Organizers say there are several ways people can help, including making donations, participating in raffles for trips to Ireland, attending local cultural events, or becoming legacy donors. They have launched a site that is accepting donations at this link.

They are also asking supporters to help spread the word about the fundraising effort if a monetary donation is not an option.

"Share this with your friends and family. Share the post on Instagram or Facebook," said Petrone. "Any little bit helps create awareness about what we're trying to do."

There is no set timeline for the fundraising campaign, but organizers hope to secure the money as soon as possible to help ensure the festival's future.

For more information about the festival, you can go to their website here.