On Friday May 10th, from 6 to 8:30 PM, there will be a Ceilidh inside the Palisade fort. The Ceilidh will feature Naomi's Fancy and other local music groups, and individuals, who will hold a Celtic jam session.

Saturday's attractions include Celtic bands such as New York's Whirligig, Nashville's Isla and Chapel Hill's Cucanandy.

• Whirligig is a group of innovative musicians joined together by the common threads of Irish traditional music. The band creates vibrant and multifaceted arrangements of traditional and original material with a varied instrumentation of flutes pipes and whistles.
• Cucanandy features endearing, heartrending songs drawn from Irish, Scottish, English, and American traditions.
• Returning this year, is Isla about which John Regan of Rock 'n Roll writes that "their performances radiate a fresh, vibrant enthusiasm which is immediately contagious with a choice selection of source material and integrity by the lorryload... highly accomplished and promising..."

Another feature of the Festival is the Scottish pipes and drums of The Deep River Pipe Band, our host marching band, led by Chris Donaldson, pipe major. Founded in 1998 and named after the river that flows through the Triad area the band gathers musicians, who enjoyed playing the great Highland bagpipe and Scottish drums. The band's mission is to foster and promote Scottish bagpipe music and related Celtic arts within our community. Rounding out the marching bands is the City of Oaks Pipe Band, Bruce Wright, pipe major, a community-based band located in the Raleigh, North Carolina area. These bands have performed all across North Carolina, including appearances at Walnut Creek and the Greensboro Coliseum, as well as at Highland games throughout the Southeast.

Throughout the day Scottish athletes including Lyle "Hit Man" Hogan will be demonstrating and participating in athletic competition, such as the caber toss (throwing the telephone pole), the hammer throw and the sheaf toss. Potential Highland athletes wishing to try any one of these events may volunteer to do so.

Nationally known Ken Bloom of Mappamundi, an organization that promotes Celtic culture, will present fascinating programs on the Highlanders of North Carolina for both children and adults. He will demonstrate the broadsword, perform period Highland music and songs and answered your questions about Highland dress accouterments and kilt patterns. A regular at Roanoke's Explore Park, Bloom currently is Sergeant in several living history groups, including the 84th Regiment of Foote for the Revolutionary War and the 77th Regiment of Montgomeries Highlanders for the French and Indian War.

Again this year the North Carolina Highland Regiment will be in encampment near the colonial gardens and demonstrate period camping life, marching, drill, and musketry. Return to the 18th century to see what the Scottish armies in colonial America looked like.

Meanwhile Scottish Highland and Irish Step Dancers will demonstrate the various dances of their ancestors, along with Contra dancers and Scottish Country Dancers. And Celtic vendors from all over North Carolina will be at the Festival with Scottish food, Highland kilts, Celtic jewelry, baskets, Celtic pottery and Celtic swords and cutlery.

So, if you love Celtic music or anything Celtic, or just want to see the mass pipes and drums take to the field, come to the second annual Celtic Music Festival at Historic Bethabara Park for a wonderful weekend of Celtic entertainment on Friday May10th and Saturday, May 11. All events are free.

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