Music, laughter and passion of the Celtic spirit hits Port this weekend

PORTARLINGTON will come alive with the music, laughter and passion of the Celtic spirit this long weekend.

The National Celtic Festival on June 7 to 10 will showcase some of the world’s most culturally rich performers in concert, workshops, sessions and cross-disciplinary community art projects.

There are also theatre and spoken word events, competitions, forums, singing sessions, dances, gatherings, pipe bands, and markets for everyone to enjoy.

The program offers a diverse range of art forms, along with the many interpretations of Celtic and folk culture within this picturesque seaside setting.

The festival market features stalls selling an array of goods and crafts profiling local designers, Celtic wares and a variety of local produce.

Visit clans and associations from across Australia, with displays including Celtic martial arts and the resident Vikings who settle in for the weekend to present traditional practices of wrestling, crafts, and iron mongering.

In a National Celtic Festival first, the festival will welcome the Australian Highland Cattle show.

Highland cattle were imported into Australia by Scottish migrants in the middle of the 19th century and this show is a great place to see the best of the breed, with cattle appraised by an international host judge.

The festival showcases national and international artists who attract more than 16,000 local and interstate visitors to the region.

With a reputation that grows each and every year, this is Australia’s largest and most diverse Celtic gathering.

From young blood to veteran artists, bagpipes to bodhrans, there’s something for everyone in 2019.

Head to nationalcelticfestival.com for further information and to book tickets.

See also, “Feel the Furey with Young Folk at Celtic Fest”, page 49.