What’s your favorite local event?

The Uptown Art Fair?

The Current Birthday Party?

Rock the Garden?

The Renaissance Festival?

Mine is the Irish Fair, held every August at on Harriet Island.

I go every year. I love the music, the dancing, the dogs, and now the new author’s table in the cultural pavilion. The people watching and food rank highly, too.

Have you noticed how social events have become?

Yes, everyday people post their pictures to Facebook and Instagram, share Vine videos etc., but the events we all attend have become more sophisticated, too.

Here’s what the Irish Fair of Minnesota does:

Instagram: irishfairmn – 23 posts so far and 26 followers

Facebook: IrishFairMN with 5,543 likes and 720 checkins and many posts to the page by others

Twitter: @IrishFairMN

Email Newsletter via Vertical Response

Website: IrishFair.com with social plugins for Twitter and Facebook

What could the Irish Fair do with social media?

Claim some hashtags and encourage their use on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Vine…

#IrishFairMN

#MenInKiltsStPaul (Just Google #MenInKilts and you’ll see why the StPaul is needed!)

#MyIrishName (It’s Sorcha, pronounced SUR a kha if you were curious)

#IFM or #IFMN

#IrishMN

Social Contests

They’ve got a raffle, what about best photo contests of dogs, dancing, sheep, and sport? Or simply more social messages about the baking contest? Although honestly, I’m not sure daily photos of warm, buttery scones would be good for me, personally. See now I’ve you you thinking about baking some, don’t I?

Quick, Specialized Branded Videos

Dancing children, frolicking dogs, authors reading, mini golf for kids, Irish name badges, fish and chips frying, social dancing, and of course a perfectly poured Guinness?

Did I forget something? How about 25+ hours of amazing Celtic music

What a perfect daily inspiration for the 3 weeks leading up to the fair!

Feature Vendor and Talent Social Media

I’m pretty sure everyone performing or sharing their knowledge at the Irish Fair has some kind of digital presence, why not list them? The music headliners have a page, but what about all the other acts and artisans? Maybe create a digital badge they could use on their home page that of course, links back to the Irish Fair website.

Here are just a few of the amazing people at the fair:

• St. Paul author, Erin Hart at ErinHart.com
• Celtic-rock group Gaelic Storm: website, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, myspace
• Local Sea Shanty Singers: Facebook
• Twin Cities Robert Emmets Hurling Club (featured on the Irish Fair Facebook page), Facebook:  TwinCitiesHurling
• The amazing man making Bodhrán drums
• The Basket Weaving Lady in the Pavilion
• All the dance schools that perform
• The Center for Irish Music:  CenterForIrishMusic.com

Final Thoughts

Maybe I should volunteer!