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Traditional Competitions in Athletics, Piping and Dance and Five Stages of World-Renowned Celtic Music Highlight this Year’s Festival in Downtown Bethlehem, Pa September 23-25
Bethlehem, PA – Thursday, September 15th, 2022 – Celtic Cultural Alliance (CCA) announces the 2022 Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival, which will take place September 23rd, 24th, and 25th in historic downtown Bethlehem. The festival will kick off Friday on Highland Field with ‘Haggis Bowl’, a traditional haggis eating contest, followed by the caber toss event. The showing of the Tartan Parade starts at 11:30 am Saturday September 24th and leads guests down from Main St to Highland field where the opening ceremonies will start at 12 noon. Local dignitaries and elected officials will participate.
“With the outstanding support we’ve received from the community and from our sponsors this year’s festival is poised to be a celebration of Celtic heritage while still remaining a free family friendly event.”, said Jayne Ann Recker, Executive Director of Celtic Cultural Alliance.
The 35th annual Celtic Classic will also feature cultural presentations in Celtic Heritage Hollow, located in the Colonial Industrial Quarter. Highlights include music workshops by the Steel City Rovers, a Scottish shortbread baking competition, a lecture on the history of kilts by Rocky Roeger, owner of USA Kilts and representatives of Celtic clans & societies. Children will enjoy the Celtic crafts in the activity tent.
The Celtic Classic is proud to present the U.S. National Highland Games Championship. Highland games are a traditional Scottish athletic competition dating back hundreds of years. “We are honored to be able to host the top pro highland athletes in the U.S. that had to qualify to be here.” said Recker. “The only chance to see this type of competition locally is here at the Celtic Classic.”
Celtic Classic will also see the return of crowd favorite, Gene Sheninger of Wayside Farm. Sheninger will demonstrate how border collies are used to herd sheep and ducks. Border collies have been used for herding for hundreds of years in the Celtic nations.
Celtic Classic is also well known for its Grade 3 & Grade 4 Pipe Band Competitions. The pipe bands play four separate times during the festival allowing them to show their skills in wide variety of formats. “Pipe bands are famous for their style, unique sound and kilts,” said Recker “However that is not what the judges will be listening for. In our contest it’s all about the music.”
For full line-up and schedule, www.celticfest.org
Celtic Classic runs from Friday September 23rd through Sunday September 26th in downtown Historic Bethlehem. For more information log on to www.celticfest.org
Celtic Classic runs from Friday, September 23rd through Sunday, September 25th in Historic Downtown Bethlehem. For up-to-the-minute information and updates, follow Celtic Classic on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@CelticClassic).
For more information on the Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival, directions, volunteering opportunities, the weekend’s schedule, and other Celtic Cultural Alliance events, visit the organization’s website at www.celticfest.org.
Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival, Parade of Shamrocks and Lehigh Valley HopsFest and CCA event logos are trademarks of Celtic Cultural Alliance in the U.S. and/or other countries.
© 2020 Celtic Classic- Highland Games & Festival.
All Rights Reserved.
About the Celtic Cultural Alliance
On Columbus Day weekend in 1988, the first Celtic Classic was presented by a small group of individuals. The goal of this dedicated group was to create an event that symbolized the Celtic spirit and history, and to provide the impetus for an organization that focused on promoting the Celtic culture. This group has now evolved into Celtic Cultural Alliance to better communicate the overall goals of the organization.
The CCA has expanded with year-round programming to support the mission of promoting and preserving Celtic Culture through arts, music, literature, dance, and history programs. In keeping with the spirit of “Next Generation”, the CCA also offers scholarships to promising young students of the Celtic Arts. These yearly scholarships are offered to students of the arts, including Irish Step Dance, Highland Dance, Fiddle, and Bagpipes.
The Celtic Classic has blossomed into one of the largest Highland Games and Festival in North America. Annually, over 250,000 visitors come to Historic Bethlehem to join in this celebration of all things Celtic. The organization has expanded into year-round programs. Our educational programming has expanded to include community outreach events in area school districts, religious institutions, local theaters and colleges throughout the Lehigh Valley. A series of scholarships are awarded each year in varied areas of Celtic culture.
Find Us On Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @CelticClassic.
Information provided to TVL by:
Jayne Ann M. Recker
Executive Director – Celtic Cultural Alliance
Vice President – Association of Scottish Games & Festivals
http://www.celticfest.org/
