Reno’s 20th annual Celtic Celebration takes place on the weekend of October 1 and 2 this year. Featured at the two-day fete will be pipe bands, highland games, Celtic musicians and dancers. There will be vendors, too, dispensing everything from woolen yardage in a variety of clan plaids to scones, soda bread and beverages.
Setting for the celebration is Bartley Ranch Regional Park at the south end of Lakeside Drive in Reno. It’s an ideal spot for the event, with large grass areas, an arena for the highland sports, the Robert Hawkins Amphitheater as well as a second stage for performances and plenty of parking.
Dance Groups and Pipe Bands Perform Both Days
Dance groups from the western U. S. will perform Celtic dances onstage. These dances include those of both the common people and court nobility – from Irish step dancing to the Scottish Highland Fling. Ireland, Wales and Scotland have dance groups on both Saturday and Sunday. Among groups performing in the amphitheater are pipe bands. They include the Northern Nevada Sierra Highlanders (recently re-christened the Battle Born Pipe Band) and The City of Sacramento Pipe Band.
Dance groups perform on the grass, whereas step-dancers and people who do the more athletic forms, such as the Highland Fling, appear on a nearby stage. The dancers scheduled to appear include the Dunsmuir (CA) Scottish Dancers, Silver State Scottish Country Dancers and Selkie in the Bay (a group that specializes in the more athletic dance forms). Celebration goers of Celtic extraction, cladon in their kilts and other ethnic garb, add even more color to the event.
Athletic Skill Clinics Offered
Also on the event’s schedule are Celtic athletic skills demonstrations and clinics. focusing on Celtic athletic skills such as the caber toss, the stone put and sheaf toss. These centuries-old competitive sports are feats of skill as well as strength, with competitions held each year at various places in the British Isles.
Celtic Critter Village and Vendors’ Booths Offer Additional Attraction
Animal lovers will enjoy the Celtic Critter Village where some of the more than 60 Celtic dog breeds will be on display. There may be Celtic ponies and other livestock as well. However, except for service animals, pets are not allowed at the celebration unless they are part of the Celtic Critter Village.
Booths, which line the path from the entrance to the amphitheatre, display all sorts of Irish memorabilia from plaques bearing old Irish sayings and prayers to Scottish marmalade and smoked salmon. Address books bearing family crests, tams and ties in various plaids, picture frames and note paper with a Celtic flair are among the other items for sale. Other booths display Scotch and Irish memorabilia such as family crests and clan information.
Tickets at the gate cost $10 for a one day pass and $15 for both days. Children under 12 are admitted without charge when accompanied by a paying adult. A schedule of events is available.
Connie Emerson - Ever since I can remember, going places and seeing new sights has intrigued me. A robin drinking from a puddle after a springtime Paris ...
