Celebrating culture with music, dance, art, drink, and so much more, the Michigan Celtic Festival (formerly the Saline Celtic Festival) is set for July 12 and 13.

To help preview this annual event, which is taking place just outside of Saline at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, 5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Road, the Sun Times News connected with Katherine Downie of the Michigan Celtic Festival.

Downie said the festival will “showcase brawny athletes throwing stones, hammers, sheaves, and cabers; pipe and drum bands; Ring of Steel Cirque Surya; historic re-enactments; Highland dance competition; Wee Folks fun; clan tents; sheepherding demonstrations; workshops; and much more including the incredibly popular Corgi races, a massive hit at last year’s festival!”

There will be performances by Celtic bands including Seven Nations, Highland Reign, Steel City Rovers, Brother Crowe, The Langford Lads, On The Lash, Black Murray, Whorled, and Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic.

2024 will be the 27th annual festival (with a two year hiatus due to Covid). It started in 1996 as part of the celebration of 30 years as the Sister City of Brecon, Wales, the city of Saline created the Saline Celtic Festival.

“An enormous (and unexpected) amount of interest in repeating the festival in subsequent years caused it to blossom and grow into a significant event in the world of culture and music education, performances and exhibitions, as well as a well-recognized destination for those interested in other cultural aspects such as dance, theater, storytelling, and sporting events,” Downie said of its history.

This year the event’s gates will open at 5 p.m. on that Friday and there will be Celtic music on the main stage and more than a dozen (free to the public) workshops that provide lessons in traditional folk dance, sword play and acrobatics, athletics, traditional musical instruments and historic living.

And then Saturday, when the gates open at 10 a.m., the festival parade will be at 10:30 a.m. with over 100 pipers parading through the Festival grounds to the opening ceremony at 11 a.m. hosted by the mayor of Saline who welcomes the attendees to enjoy the full day of fun.

To learn more and see the full list of festival details, activities, costs, etc. go to https://www.mi-celtic.org/

photos courtesy of the Michigan Celtic Festival