County Mayo ­-- from left, Bernie Bonnie, bass and vocals; Brand Campbell, vocals, keyboard and percussion; Marcy Dubec, flute, whistle and percussion; Bill Lewis, guitar, mandolin and banjo; and Ted Miller, vocals ­-- will perform Friday at the Mahoning Valley Irish Festival. (Submitted photo)

The Mahoning Valley Irish Festival made a last-minute move in 2022 to Penguin City Brewing for its inaugural year.

It’s now the event’s new home.

“Penguin City was incredibly gracious opening their doors to us, and the crowds came,” Chairwoman Shannon Lehn said. “They’ve been absolutely wonderful partners to us.”

When the festival lost some of the funding it had been promised in 2022, organizers had less than two days to scramble and adapt their festival layout to a new space. That wasn’t a problem this year.

“We’ve taken over the whole facility plus the parking lot,” Lehn said.

Among the new attractions planned this year are an Irish whiskey tasting and cigar event with Steel City Cigars on Friday (ticket are available online at mvirishfestival.com) and a neurodiversity tent created in consultation with area autism groups.

“It’s for anyone who might need kind of a reset if the noise becomes too much,” Lehn said. “We’ll have a stream so they can still watch the bands with bluetooth headphones and adjust the volume.”

Expanded children’s activities are planned on Saturday, including crafts and an Irish music lesson.

This year’s festival also will honor a “Mayor of Malarky” with Jim “Monko” Johnston being selected. Lehn said they wanted to recognize someone for their contributions to the community in the same way the Mahoning Valley St. Patrick’s Parade picks a grand marshal.

“We chose the name ‘Mayor of Malarky’ to reflect someone who is fun and has the gift of gab,” she said. “He (Johnston) is just a phenomenal human being … He’s been our biggest advocate. Everyone who know him loves him.”

Kravitz Deli will be serving corned beef in addition to three Irish food vendors and other food trucks.

Entertainment will be featured on two stages — one indoors and one outdoors, although the outdoor performances can be moved inside if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

Main stage headliners are Pittsburgh area Celtic rock bands, Bastard Bearded Irishmen on Friday and The Low Kings on Saturday.

The Irishmen have been voted best rock band in Pittsburgh three time by the readers of Pittsburgh City Paper and twice named best bar band by Pittsburgh magazine.

Lead singer Jimmy Bastard said the band started 15 years ago as one-off to pay tribute to a fellow musician who had died, but the band quickly realized the sound was something it should pursue.

The group’s sound is rooted in the merger of rock, punk and Irish folk that was pioneered by The Pogues and continued by bands such as Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys and The Tossers, but he said the sound evolved from adding those folk instruments to the music he wrote with his punk band Ragweed.

“Once I had a mandolin and fiddle, it just happened naturally,” he said.

He promised a raucous time.

“It’s very, very high energy and humorous,” he said. “I’ve fought with people forever — ‘You can’t put humor and music together.’ I beg to differ. As long as the music is tight, you can definitely put on a funny show. It’s all about having a good time.”

The band has released four albums, including a Christmas record in 2022, and its latest single is “Whisky 0′.”

This year’s festival will support four area charities — National Alliance on Mental Illness-Mahoning Valley, Diva Donations, The Piggyback Foundation of Youngstown and United Returning Citizens.

If you go …

WHAT: Mahoning Valley Irish Festival

WHEN: 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Penguin City Brewing, 460 E. Federal St., Youngstown

HOW MUCH: $5 with children ages 12 and younger admitted free. For more information, go to mvirishfestival.com

Friday schedule

5 p.m. – Achill Crossing

6 p.m. – Vocal music session with Ted Miller of County Mayo

6:30 p.m. – Burke School of Dance

7 to 11 p.m. – Whiskey tasting and Steel City Cigars

7 p.m. – County Mayo

9 p.m. – Burke School of Dance

9:30 p.m. – Bastard Bearded Irishmen

Saturday schedule

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Kids’ activities

11 a.m. – Steel Clover Company

12:30 p.m. – Eamonn Knuff

2 p.m. – Seamus

2:15 p.m. – Storyteller Alan Irvine

3 p.m. – Irish music session

3:30 p.m. – Irish Brigadeers

5 p.m. – Storyteller Alan Irvine

5:30 p.m. – Burke School of Dance

6 p.m. – Irish music session

6:15 p.m. – Seamus

7:45 p.m. – Storyteller Alan Irvine

8:15 p.m. – Burke School of Dance

9 p.m. – The Low Kings