The Season Begins - Celtic Festivals From New South Wales to New York to New Brunswick to The Highlands

Details and web links to the May Festivals noted below can be found at the concusion of the article via the attached links.

Scotland: Highlands & Islands Music and Dance festival:

Held May 4th through May 6th in Oban on the coast in Argyle and Butte. The festival began in 1984, when its aims were to encourage young talent to participate in and develop the traditional arts of music and dance of the highlands and islands of Scotland. Since then the event has developed to include new special events and competitions, and the festival now offers over 1100 participants 125 competition classes in eleven disciplines including piping, accordion, fiddle, clarsach, piano, recorder, woodwind & brass, singing, highland dancing and choreography. In addition to the many competition classes, the festival hosts a number of special events annually, including:The Highlands and Islands Fiddle and Accordion Masters featuring prize-winning fiddle and accordion players from the main competition championships throughout Scotland.

• The Scottish Area Finals, the culmination of the whole year’s competition circuit, featuring seventeen teams, and the only highland dancing team event to be held in the world!
• The Scottish Choreography Challenge featuring two days of entertainment of the highest standard. Teams of dancers compete for prestigious prizes using innovative dance routines incorporating traditional highland dancing steps, sound and lighting effects and dazzling costumes.
• The Festival Fling, when competitors, family and friends dance into the wee small hours to a traditional Scottish dance band in the Argyllshire Gathering Halls with the Ceilidh’s Homet band!

Australia

The Australian Celtic Festival held May 26 at Glen Innes, New South Wales, benefits from a stunning array of talent in this year’s Festival which is themed “The Year of Brittany, Galicia and Asturias”. 

The second down under is Australia’s Berry Celtic Festival, also on 26 May, held in Portarlington, Victoria. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Victoria, the Festival is in it’s 12th year. Performances include the Wollongong Welsh Choir and an impressive collection of Pipe Bands.

Canada

Although a bit nippy in the Canadian Maritime in May, nonetheless there are two Festivals this month in New Brunswick: The J.P. Collins Celtic Festival in St. John boasts “A Full Weekend of Celtic Music, Dance and Culture” May 4th through May 6th.

Also, on offer in May in New Brunswick is the 11th annual Gathering of the Scots in Perth-Andover held May 30 – June 2.  This Festival offers an impressive array of traditional Scottish Games events. A highlight of the cultural festival are tickets to the much sought-after evening of 5 carefully prepared dinner courses expertly “matched” with 5 Scottish single malt whiskeys at the Perth Elks Lodge.  From the welcoming solo bagpiper, patrons are ushered into an exclusive environment of black-tie waiters and kilted whisky servers.  Live Celtic music serenades the hall. Sorry folks, this year’s dinner is Sold Out.  Plan ahead as next year’s dinner is 27 April, 2019.

 The States

Delaware:

Delaware’s Scottish Games Association launches the Colonial Highland Gathering just across the State line at Elkton, Maryland’s Fair Hill Race Track. The May 19 Festival Touts Highland Games, Highland Dancing, Cultural events and contemporary Celtic bands including the Charlie Zahm Trio and The Brigadoons.           

Georgia:

The historic Colonial city of Savannah puts on the Savannah Scottish Games on 5 May. This Georgia Festival is in its 42nd year and is going strong. Featuring Highland Dancing, performance by 5 different Pipe and Drum corps from southern Georgia and northern Florida as well as traditional Highland competitions.

Illinois:

Chicago’s Gaelic Park Pub puts on its annual Irish Fest May 26 – 28. The Fest bills itself as “Four Days of World Class Irish Musical Talent”. The line-up includes twelve contemporary Celtic bands and featuring “Chicago Feis Irish Dancing Competition”.

Michigan:

The Alma Highland Festival blasts its way through May 26 – 27 with the “Mudmen”, an energetic Celtic rock band. On offer are Pipe band competitions and the Mid-West Regional Highland Dance competition. In addition, the Alma Festival includes workshops and demonstrations with Highland cultural themes, professional and amateur athletics, Scottish vendors, arts & crafts, an entertainment tent and border collie competition.

Missouri:

A short distance from St. Louis lies the historic Mississippi river town of St. Charles, home of the 14th annual Missouri River Irish Fest. This festival bills itself as the largest free Irish festival in the Midwest. The weekend of May 2 will see an impressive entertainment line-up including the blockbuster Celtic rock bands “Celtica” and “Barleyjuice”.

New York:

The East Durham Irish Festival held the weekend of May 26 boasts an entertainment roster of over 22 Celtic Rock and traditional bands from Ireland and the States along with a Beer garden. In a beautiful setting in the wilderness of the upper Hudson Valley’s Greene County the village of East Durham is widely known as a town of Irish Pubs.

In another bucolic New York setting is the Finger Lakes Celtic Festival held on the third Saturday in May in Shortsville. On offer are traditional Highland Games, Bag Piping competition, Irish and Scottish dance accompanied by a full line-up of entertainment.

Oregon:

The Eugene Scottish Festival held May 26 is in its 16th year. 2018 features a sampling of traditional Highland festival fare from sheep herding demonstrations and full line-up of Celtic bands.  The festival is sponsored by the Oregon Scottish Society, Douglas County Celtic Society and the NW Scots Guard.

Pennsylvania:

Pennsylvania’s Pocono ski slopes host the Shawnee Celtic Festival on the grounds of the eponymous ski resort the weekend of May 25th. This festival has a serious Celtic Rock line-up featuring Donegal’s Screaming Orphans who were recently featured in a Transceltic article “The Screaming Orphans – These Donegal Girls Are Celtic Rock Super Stars”. The Screaming Orphans are performing with the legendary Seven Nations. This festival benefits from a full gambit of resort amenities and is an easy drive from either New York City of Philadelphia. https://www.transceltic.com/irish/screaming-orphans-these-donegal-girls-...

 The Screaming Orphans in Performance

South Carolina:

The Greenville Scottish Games proffers a stunning entertainment line-up during the May 26th festival. Held on the grounds of Greenville’s Furman University, the festival headlines the incomparable Albannach along with Celtica, Cleghorn and the American Rogues. Also, on hand are traditional Piping and Highland Athletic competitions along with a Celtic cultural park.

Albannach

Celtica

Tennessee:

Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains are the venue for the Scottish Festival and Games May 19–20. Headlining the wildly popular Albannach along with Four Leaf Peat, The Good Thymes Ceilidh Band and the Tannahill Weavers amongst others. The festival location is adjacent is in the charming town of Maryville in the Smoky Mountains.

Texas:

The Texas Scottish Festival and Games is held May 11th in the Maverick Stadium on the grounds of the University of Texas at Arlington in suburban Dallas-Fort Worth. Sponsored in part by the Scottish Government’s Representative in the America’s this festival is heavy on traditional Highland Games competitions, Whiskey tastings and a range of cultural activities.

 https://www.transceltic.com/celtic-festivals