HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Beautiful weather? Check. Irish spirit? Check. Irish-inspired food? Check. Petting zoo? Check. Irish music? Check. Hundreds of festivalgoers looking for a good time? Check.
For the past nine years, the Hanceville Irish Festival has delivered a day filled with Irish culture, live entertainment and a wide variety of vendors. This year’s event, held Saturday, March 14, proved to be the largest yet, featuring 67 vendors and drawing hundreds of visitors from across Cullman County and beyond.
Vendor offerings ranged from handmade goods and 3D-printed items to ceramic earrings, designer hats, custom-made pens and trinkets, as well as homemade baked treats, including some to-die-for peanut butter cookies. Food vendors were equally busy, serving everything from street corn and fried chicken favorites, with most vendors including dishes with an Irish-inspired twist.
Families also had plenty to enjoy throughout the day. Children flocked to the yearly staple’s inflatable bounce houses while a petting zoo drew in plenty of attention with camels, llamas, a ferret, a tortoise and several other animals visitors could feed and interact with.
Festival organizer and Hanceville Mayor Nolan Bradford later shared a message of appreciation on Facebook, thanking the vendors, sponsors and volunteers who helped make the event possible.
“A special thank you to all the vendors, sponsors, performers, city employees and volunteers who participated in this year’s event,” Bradford said. “We tried something different this year by going all the way around the block downtown and had our best turnout ever. See everyone next year!”
For more information about the Hanceville Irish Festival and updates on the 2027 event, follow the festival’s official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hancevilleirishfest.
