A Celtic fest has nothing at all to do with the football team that has a similarly spelled name. A Celtic fest is a gathering where you can find music, dancing, art, food, gifts, and genealogy related items that connect to Irish, Scottish, or Celtic culture or history. Here is a quick list of where to find some Celtic fests, (or Irish Fests, or Highland Fests), this Summer.
In Itasca, Illinois, there will be a Scottish Festival and Highland Games held on June 15, 2012, and June 16, 2012. There will be traditional Scottish food, Scottish whiskey, and Scottish music to enjoy. There will also be plenty of rugby being played. The Scottish Genealogy Group of the Illinois St. Andrew’s Society will be there to help genealogists climb their family tree.
In Northampton, Boston, you can attend the Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival. It will take place on July 11, 2012, and July 12, 2012. It will start off with a massed bands performance. Athletic events include the Braemar Stone toss, the Open Stone toss, the Heavy Hammer toss, and, my favorite, the Caber toss! There will be food vendors selling haggis (and other foods), and plenty of merchants selling Scottish kilts, sporrans, and more. There also will be a highland dance demonstration.
In Brainerd, Minnesota, The Farm on St. Mathias will hold its fourth annual Celtic Festival. It will start at 11:00 in the morning and continue through 6:00 in the evening on July 21, 2012. There will be plenty of live Irish and Scottish music. The emcee will be Welsh storyteller John Dingley. Special guests include author Erin Hart and Paddy O’Brien, TG4 Gradam Ceoil Traditional Composer of the year, who will speak about Irish topics. Don’t miss the craft demonstrations or the blacksmith demonstrations!
In Greene County, New York, there will be an International Celtic Festival held at Hunter Mountain. It will be held on August 18, 2012, and August 19, 2012. This fest will include authentic cuisine, world-class Irish music, and a bagpipe competition. There will also be a march of pipers and drummers, and some fireworks!
Irish Central has put together a huge list of a guide to Irish and Celtic festivals that will be taking place in the United States this Summer. You can read over the list for July of 2012, or the list for August of 2012. There is sure to be at least one that you can visit.
Image by Jeff Meade on Flickr