Six months removed from the actual holiday, the Harp & Hooley Irish Festival gives Granbury a second dose of Irish celebration each year, all in support of local seniors.
Langdon Grounds, Granbury, TX — Saturday, September 12, 2026, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Granbury has never let a technicality like the calendar stop it from throwing a good party, and this September proves it once again. The Harp & Hooley Irish Heritage Association is bringing the town its first-ever Irish festival, landing almost exactly six months after actual St. Patrick’s Day, a timing local coverage has playfully summed up as “March, Schmarch.”
The free festival takes place at Langdon Grounds, located at 308 East Bridge Street, just two blocks east of Historic Granbury Square. Doors open at 11 a.m. and the celebration runs through 6 p.m., packed with live Irish music, traditional dancers performing reels and jigs, and an entire lineup of food, drink, and shopping vendors.
Families will find plenty to do beyond the music. A petting zoo and a live blacksmith demonstration give kids something hands-on to enjoy, while traditional Irish craft demonstrations and a dedicated Irish Village area invite visitors to wander, browse, and soak in the culture at their own pace. Local radio station 92.1 Hank FM will also be on-site from 2 to 4 p.m. with their Party Patrol, adding an extra layer of festival energy to the afternoon.
Behind the fun, there’s a genuine community mission driving the event. The festival is presented by the Harp & Hooley Irish Heritage Association, a Granbury-based nonprofit founded by Kevin and Mary McDonough, who also own the town’s beloved Pub McDonough. A portion of the festival’s proceeds will go directly to Mission Granbury’s Senior Program, which supports an underserved senior population across Hood County through services like prescription assistance, emergency food boxes, home-delivered groceries, utility assistance, and rent or housing support. As the festival’s own materials put it, together, the community can help neighbors live with dignity.
This isn’t the Harp & Hooley Association’s first event, either. The group already runs PaddyFest each March at The Pub McDonough, meaning Granbury now gets two dedicated Irish celebrations spread across the calendar year instead of just one. And this new addition fits right into the town’s already packed events lineup: Granbury hosts more than 40 annual community gatherings around its historic courthouse square, a calendar so full it’s earned the town its own nickname, the Celebration Capital of Texas. Just a few weeks later, on October 2-4, Granbury Square Plaza hosts its Oktoberfest celebration, so fall alone brings the town two very different heritage festivals within a matter of weeks.
Whether you’re Irish by blood, Irish by marriage, or simply Irish for the day, Granbury’s inaugural Harp & Hooley Irish Festival offers a fun, free, family-friendly way to celebrate a little heritage, support local seniors, and get one more reason to spend a Saturday on the historic square.
For more information, call (817) 964-6536 or visit the Harp and Hooley Association’s website.
