Irish Weekend in North Wildwood: 2026 Dates and What to Know for 2027

Irish Weekend 2026, the 35th annual Irish Fall Festival, took place in North Wildwood from Thursday, September 24 through Sunday, September 27, 2026. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet. The festival has landed in the second half of September every recent year (September 18 to 21 in 2025, September 24 to 27 in 2026), and the organizer, the Cape May County Ancient Order of Hibernians, publishes the new dates at cmcaoh.com. We’ll update this page as soon as they do.

How Irish Weekend works

The 2026 schedule is the best guide to what next year will look like. The weekend opens on Thursday and the street festival runs Friday through Sunday.

Thursday: kickoff

• A morning golf tournament opens the weekend.
• Evening: the Sean Cullen Memorial USA vs. Ireland amateur boxing night. Ticketed.

Friday

• Irish vendors and food along Olde New Jersey Avenue, roughly 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Free live Irish music and dancing on the main stage at Chestnut and Olde New Jersey, from noon into the evening.

Saturday

• 8 a.m.: the Irish Jog 5K and one-mile family walk on the Boardwalk, starting and ending at Seaport Pier, 22nd Street and the Boardwalk.
• Vendors all day and main stage music and step dancing from noon. Beer gardens and the North Wildwood pubs run live music all afternoon and night.

Sunday

• Morning Mass (cmcaoh.com lists the time and church).
• Vendors all day.
• The parade down Surf Avenue, early afternoon (12:30 p.m. in 2026). Arrive early; the sidewalks along Surf fill an hour before.

Times are from the 2026 festival; 2027 times will be published by the organizer.

Getting there and parking

The festival streets close to traffic and nearby parking is limited all weekend. The easiest plan is to leave the car at your hotel in Wildwood and take a five to ten minute rideshare to Olde New Jersey Avenue, or walk the Boardwalk north toward 22nd Street on Saturday morning for the Irish Jog.

Where to stay for Irish Weekend 2027

All five Coastal Collection hotels are in Wildwood, 1.6 to 2.1 miles from the main stage, and all five are open in September. Rooms for parade weekend go early, so it pays to book once the dates are out.

Hotel	Approx. distance to main stage
Paradise Inn, 235 E Wildwood Ave	1.6 miles (closest)
Beachside Resort, 3700 Atlantic Ave	1.8 miles
Sunrise Inn, 107 E Lincoln Ave	1.8 miles
Coastal Sands Inn, 4110 Atlantic Ave	2.1 miles
Sunset Beach Hotel, 4300 Ocean Ave	2.1 miles

Visiting in the off-season instead? See November in the Wildwoods 2026, Christmas in the Wildwoods 2026 or the full Wildwood events calendar. Coastal Sands Inn is the Coastal Collection hotel open from mid-October through April. Book Coastal Sands

Planning September 2027? Beachside Resort, Sunset Beach Hotel, Sunrise Inn and Paradise Inn reopen in April. Compare all five on the hotels in Wildwood page or the hotels near North Wildwood page.

Irish Weekend questions

When is Irish Weekend in Wildwood in 2027?

Not announced yet. Watch cmcaoh.com; based on 2025 and 2026, plan on the second half of September.

Where is the best spot to watch the Irish Weekend parade?

Anywhere along the Surf Avenue route in North Wildwood. Get there an hour early, because the sidewalks fill up well before the start.

When was Irish Weekend 2026?

Thursday, September 24 through Sunday, September 27, 2026, in North Wildwood. It was the 35th annual Irish Fall Festival.

Where is the Irish Fall Festival held?

In North Wildwood, along Olde New Jersey Avenue, with the main stage at Chestnut Avenue and Olde New Jersey Avenue. The parade runs down Surf Avenue on Sunday.

Is Irish Weekend free?

Yes. Admission to the festival, the vendors and the main stage is free. The Irish Jog 5K and the boxing night have their own registration or tickets.