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Event
CelticFest Mississippi 2008
**Tickets are Weekend Passes!!**
(Jackson, MS) -- CelticFest Mississippi 2008, Celtic Heritage Society's 17th annual weekend festival is almost here! Take your mind off of the weather at air-conditioned stages filled with the best of Celtic music and dancing. Alternatively, venture outdoors to get your fill with everything else the festival has to offer. It's a packed weekend of Celtic music, dance, and fun not to be missed.
CelticFest is a celebration of the Celtic nations including Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and Brittany. It takes place on September 5-7 at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Museum.
CelticFest features an exceptional variety of exciting Irish and Scottish music and dance on 6 stages, plus Celtic heritage, music and dance workshops, a children's area, Celtic specialty vendors, and plenty of food and drink. Because much of the festival takes place indoors, CelticFest will be held RAIN OR SHINE!
CelticFest features two headlining artists of both international status and high caliber. County Cork's JIMMY CROWLEY, a singer/songwriter and bouzouki accompanist central to the Irish folk scene since the late 1970s. "Jimmy Crowley is a musical icon in Irish tradition. The lift and lilt of his voice is the listener's joy," says Michel Slleabhin of the Irish World Centre.
The second featured headliner for 2008 are returning duo RANDAL BAYS and DIATHI SPROULE. Among the many Americans who play Irish fiddle, Randal Bays is one of the few to find serious acceptance and respect for his music in Ireland. His serene demeanor certainly belies the power in his playing. The other half of the duo, Daithi (pronounced DAH-hee) is, without condition, one of Irish musics greatest guitar accompanists. Daithi's playing is both sensitive and driving, with no small amount of virtuosity. His rendering of traditional songs from his native Northern Ireland round out the duo's musical vocabulary.
Of course, CelticFest's tried-and-true local and regional performers (over 40 acts) will return for another round as well, including Smithfield Fair, Legacy, Jim Flanagan, and more. Two new bands, Stonecross and Finvarras Wren, will be making the trip from Michigan to attend.
The festivities begin Friday night 7pm-12am with music/dance performances on multiple stages, vendors, the Whiskey and Scotch Tasting benefit, and an open tune session. On Saturday, the gates open at 10 am with even more entertainment, workshops, and activities continuously until midnight (or later!). The gates open again 11 am Sunday for another day of Celtic fun.
An ever popular highlight of CelticFest, the massive Ceili Dance (pronounced kay-lee) caps off the Saturday night with three shifts of live music. "They don't turn out like this in Ireland! This is astounding!" said Eoin Verling of the Fuchsia Band, last year's headlining tune band.
The children won't be left out CelticFest is a family-friendly festival! There will be a Children's Area with activities they can do with their parents, plus kid-oriented vendors on the grounds.
Admission is $12 for an adult Weekend Pass, $8 for seniors and students, $5 for children ages 5-17, and $1 for children under four. "A greater value of this quality can't be had in Jackson." says Harvey Kimble, past president of the Celtic Heritage Society.
For more information, please visit the CelticFest web site: www.CelticFestMS.org. The Celtic Heritage Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the mission of promoting and preserving the arts and culture of the Celtic nations. CelticFest is a family-oriented event, and all CHS events are open to the public.
CelticFests sponsors include: Fenian's Irish Pub, Guinness, Cabot Lodge Millsaps, Branch Cable, Wine & Spirits In the Quarter, the Jackson Irish Dancers. This project is also funded in part by a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency and by the Southern Arts Federation in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mississippi Arts Commission.
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LocationThe Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Museum
1150 Lakeland Dr
Jackson, MS 39216
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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