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BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania, June 15, 2021 —Celtic music and bagpipes will be heard and the Highland Games Athletes will be throwing the caber when the Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival returns to downtown Bethlehem on September 24-26, 2021. In its 34th year, Celtic Cultural Alliance (CCA) announced the return of the Celtic Classic, the largest free Celtic festival in North America, after last year was cancelled due to COVID-19.
“We realize it has been a challenging year for local businesses, vendors, and performers, and we look forward to the return of Celtic Classic to not only celebrate Celtic culture with the people in our region, but to support our community economically,” stated Jayne Ann Recker, Executive Director.
Celtic Classic hosts the U.S. National Highland Games Championship, which features the top 10 pro athletes in the United States competing for the title at Celtic Classic. Selected top Pipe bands from the east coast will compete on Saturday and Sunday for awards.
For Celtic music fans, five stages of performers engage the audiences with traditional Celtic, Celtic rock, and folk. Crowd favorites, such as the Kilmaine Saints and Seamus Kennedy will be returning, while up and coming performers such as Fig for a Kiss and the Chivalrous Crickets will bring new energy to the weekend. Having played in 2018, Celtic Aire, the premier Celtic band of the United States Air Force, will be performing on Saturday and Sunday.
A highlight of the weekend, the Showing of the Tartan parade will step off at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. It includes pipe bands, high school bands, dignitaries, and the Scottish clans and Celtic societies.
The Celtic Heritage Hollow programming continues to focus on the culture of the seven Celtic nations. This area will have children’s activities, Celtic societies and clans, and several cultural competitions. The Irish 69th, a Civil war reenactment group, will be having an encampment for the first time in over a decade.
“Celtic Cultural Alliance will continue to follow the latest CDC, state and city health department standards to ensure the safety of our patrons, volunteers, food vendors, retail merchants, and performers,” added Recker.
Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival runs from September 24, 4:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., Saturday, September 25, 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m, and Sunday, September 26, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
The 34th annual Celtic Classic runs from Friday, September 26th through Sunday, September 28th in downtown historic Bethlehem. For more information, directions, volunteering opportunities and the weekend’s schedule, log on to www.celticfest.org. For up-to-the-minute information and updates, follow Celtic Classic on Twitter (@CelticClassic) and friend them on Facebook (facebook.com/CelticClassic).
For more information on the Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival 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.
© 2014 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.
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Information provided to TVL by:
Marcie Mulligan
Cultural Outreach Coordinator
http://www.celticfest.org/
