Enjoy a food-filled weekend at the 19th annual Irish Italian International Festival

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - The Irish Italian International Festival is the city’s end-of-summer celebration, and if you like food, beer and music, Main Street is the place you’ll want to be this weekend.

The annual North Myrtle Beach event draws in around 14,000 people each year, and some even travel from overseas to attend.

It’s free to get in, but bring your wallet because there will be more than 100 food and craft vendors along Main Street.

If you’re really hungry, you can get in on the popular spaghetti eating contest for free starting at 1:30 p.m.

Ledo’s Pizza prepares batches of spaghetti for the contest, and owner Ken McMurrain said it’s one of his favorite parts of the festival.

“It’s just fun to watch and a little messy,” McMurrain said. “If they know Ledo’s pizza, they actually want to eat the pasta, so a majority of them are happy they get to eat the pasta.”

McMurrain also said he knows when the festival is in town, his restaurant is expected to be a packed house.

“This parking lot is usually an overflow for the festival, so they’re just naturally here,” McMurrain said. “Usually, once they come in, it only takes one or two visits before it becomes one of their favorite foods, so it’s nice.”

There will also be two stages of live entertainment with performances throughout the day.

The 19th annual Irish Italian International Festival kicks off along Main Street on Saturday at 10 a.m. and goes until 4 p.m.

For more information about the festival, click here.

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