Niagara Celtic Heritage Festival

The tradition & historical record

The Niagara Celtic Heritage Festival & Highland Games (also known as Niagara Celtic) is a Celtic cultural festival held at the Niagara County Fairgrounds in Niagara County, New York. It is run by the not-for-profit Niagara Celtic Heritage Society. The festival takes place during the third weekend of September, and attracts about 13,000 visitors in two days to Krull Park. Activities include Celtic music, genealogy, food and drink, dance, cultural exhibits, games, sports, arts and crafts, and children's activities. The main performances play at four stages located throughout the grounds, including The Fireside, The Dragonfly and the Celtic Arts Theatre. The society also hosts a Celtic College, with various lectures and classes during the event. ¹

Niagara Celtic was conceived in late 2000 in Olcott by Phil and Beth Banks, who had attended a Celtic celebration in Kincardine, Ontario, and Paul Krest, a participant in the local Highland games. In the spring of 2001 they launched their first season of Highland Games, which concluded in September with a small grand finale festival, the first Niagara Celtic Heritage Festival & Highland Games. The Banks family continues managing and growing the festival, while Paul Krest runs the nearly year-round Highland Games through the Niagara Highland Athletics Club. About 500 people attended the first year. The festival grew into an annual event in Olcott. In 2016 it occupied over 11 acres on the lakeside of Krull Park, had representation from about 40 Scottish clans, and included cultural and athletic demonstrations as well as Celtic music. Beginning in 2019, the festival relocated to the Niagara County Fairgrounds in order to continue the growth of the popular event. The next year saw a virtual festival, and 2021 saw its return after a pandemic-based hiatus. ¹

The festival has four stages with musical acts, including bands, dance groups and bagpipe bands. ¹

Every year on Saturday evening, the festival hosts a Ceilidh Celebration. The evening usually consists of an opening act, a special guest performance and the headline band. This event allows everyone working during the festival to close down for the evening and join in the celebration. There is a beer tent and small campfires, along with a few food vendors who stay open late. ¹

The college runs lectures and classes from noon to about 5pm each day. Classes vary each year; previous topics have included instrument lessons, dancing, genealogy, publishing, poetry and storytelling. ¹

This feature was at first known as Clan Row. Only a few clans took part throughout the early years, but the numbers started growing by 2010. In 2016 there were over 40 clans in the village. In 2014 the Village welcomed Clan Henderson for their Annual General Meeting, and in following years various other clans have also held their AGM's during the festival. ¹

Food vendors sell a variety of foods and beverage, and most vendors have one or more “Celtic” foods, including Scotch eggs, seafood, potatoes, and stews. The festival “Gaelic Libation” tents, or beer tents, offer wine, mead, and beer. Craftsmen and artisans can be found who deal in Celtic goods and products including kilts and accessories, Renaissance costumes, swords, jewelry, glassware, candles, chainmail, pottery, henna art, and more. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Niagara Celtic Heritage Festival”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Niagara Celtic Heritage Festival is Celtic cultural festival, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 1 external register, which can be verified through the citation. ²