Irish Fair celebrates 20th anniversary

The Libby Irish Fair reached its 20th anniversary on Saturday, as a host of craft vendors and musicians graced the Libby Memorial Events Center for the one-day event.

Hundreds of people from Libby and the surrounding area attended the event.

“I thought it was really, really well attended, it was a lot of fun,” Kate Huntsberger said.

Huntsberger is one of the event’s organizers, part of a small board that jumped in to save the fair when it was on the verge of collapse four years ago.

Before the event, Huntsberger told The Western News the Irish Fair is a year-to-year event, each successive year made possible by fundraising from the previous one. She thinks this year’s fair was successful enough that it will be returning next year.

“I think we did well enough to bring it back,” she said. “We haven’t counted the money yet, but it was a good year.”

Huntsberger said approximately 46 vendors participated in the Irish Fair this year, selling their wares to attendees. Vendors included woodworkers, jewelry makers, home goods and food suppliers, among others.

The volunteers of the Irish Fair made and sold food to festival-goers, including Irish stew and pasties. If the food consumption is any indicator, attendance exceeded expectations, as they ran out of food.

This year the festival also brought in a cash bar, which opened after the craft fair and operated during the musical performances. Huntsberger said the bar was a special event to commemorate the 20th anniversary and she wasn’t sure if they would be bringing it back next year.