Hall is eager to begin the kickoff to Celtic festival season.
“Celtic Fest Ohio is first and then the next weekend is the Ohio Scottish Games at the Cuyahoga Fairgrounds in Cleveland,” he said. “A couple of weeks later is Cincinnati Celtic Festival, which moved from August to July. The last full weekend of July is Dayton Celtic Festival and Dublin Irish Festival is the first weekend of August.”
Dayton-based Dulahan, which formed in 2000, appears regularly at numerous regional Celtic festivals. The group’s leader Kyle Aughe is a big believer in Celtic Fest Ohio.
“The festival itself has grown year after year,” he said. “It was a positive edition to the scene when it started several years ago because there were a lot of festivals dropping out because they just couldn’t work economically. It was nice to see a new festival added to the region. It has just grown in popularity. It’s a fun festival.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The lineup
In addition to local acts like Dulahan and the aforementioned Hall’s Father Son and Friends, there are touring acts like Poor Man’s Gambit from Philadelphia and Columbus-based Drowsy Lads.
“Poor Man’s Gambit are incredible,” Hall said. “These folks are absolutely on fire. The Piper Jones Band has unbelievable players. They do an amazing job. The Drowsy Lads has really landed as a top national act and headliner on the festival scene. They’re so incredibly good and really nice people too. The Bastard Bearded Irishmen, who have a rock edge like the Dropkick Murphys, are a ton of fun and really add a nice quality to the festival.”
There are also groups with roots outside the United States like Albannach, which formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 2005.
“It’s really exciting to bring a lot of music from outside the region you don’t normally get to see at any of these other festivals,” Hall said. “Of course, the heavy hitter, Albannach, is straight off the boat from Scotland. They’re playing outlaw tunes on outlaw pipes, and it’s tribal and rhythmic. The Byrne Brothers, from County Donegal, Ireland, play classic, traditional Irish pub music. They’re all incredibly talented.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Beyond the stage
The grounds at Renaissance Park were purchased by Brimstone and Fire LLC in 2015. The facility owners expanded the facility’s program to concerts, festivals and other events beyond the annual Renaissance Festival, which returns Sept. 2 through Oct. 29.
“It’s such a nice facility,” Aughe said. “Kudos to the new management. They really dressed up the restrooms, the facades. It’s nice to see somebody putting some investment into a facility like that and finding different uses for it. It’s great for the area.”
In addition to Scottish dancers from McGovern Irish Dance and Dwyer School of Irish Dance, the annual event also features the Highland Games, children’s activities, workshops, food vendors, whiskey tastings and the Shamrock Shenanigans scavenger hunt.
“It’s a really fun festival,” Aughe said. “There’s a lot to see and do. It’s a great people-watching festival. Some of the vendors open up their booths. For folks that like to wear their period garb, this is another good opportunity to don the kilts. It’s like the weekend flashes back to another time.”
Contact this contributing writer at 937-287-6139 or donthrasher100@gmail.com.
HOW TO GO
What: Celtic Fest Ohio with Albannach, Drowsy Lads, Dulahan, Jameson’s Folly and more
Where: Renaissance Park, 10542 E. State Route 73, Waynesville
When: Saturday, June 17 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Gates open at 10 a.m.
Cost: $15 in advance
More info: www.celticfestohio.com
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