September is Festival Month.  Although many are themed by musical genre - jazz, blues or bluegrass - often the music has a cultural affiliation.  

Yesterday I attended Irish 2000 Music Festival at the Saratoga Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa.   There were three stages of continuous music that covered every aspect of what one associates with Irish music.  There were enough traditional groups to satisfy anyone who has cried to the lyrics of "Danny Boy" and there was cutting-edge Celtic alternatives.  Best of all there was everything in between that help connect the two different styles of music.

The crowd was equally as diverse.  They ranged from grandma and grandpa to the newest arrival in the family.   The connecting device was that everyone was dressed in a shade of green.  If you have an allergy to the color green avoid the Irish Music Fest.

The walkways were filled with vendors of merchandise and food.   Most of the merchandise was Irish in some form - even the jewelry seemed dominated by green stones.  All the merchandise was Irish-oriented and yes, mostly in hues of green.

About the only thing not dominated by green was the food.  There was an endless line of food vendors featuring corned beef sandwiches, sausage and peppers, fried dough and any deep fried concoction that guarantees to induce a heart attack.   And what would an Irish Fest be without a number of pizza stands?

I was impressed with the fairness of pricing overall. I had one of the best corned beef sandwiches ever, served with cabbage on a hard roll.  It was only $8,  a price few pubs or restaurants match.  The beer prices were also fair.  $4 for domestic, $5 for Guinness, etc.   Considering the festival draws a thirsty captive audience the vendors could gouge.  They didn't.

This is the type of principle that makes the Irish Fest such a great event.  The mood is welcoming.  The music is eclectic and of high quality and the vendors try to serve.  All in all its a successful model of how to offer your customers a good time.