New Festival Celebrates Celtic Culture on The Oregon Coast

(NEWPORT, Ore.) - Event organizers with the City of Newport Parks and Recreation Department are excited to announce the first NEWPORT CELTIC FESTIVAL and HIGHLAND GAMES will take place June 10-11-12, 2011 at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds in the heart of Newport.

The weekend long festival will celebrate the wonderfully diverse cultures of the seven Celtic Nations of Brittany, Cornwall, Galicia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales. There will be Celtic music, dance, athletics, theater and vendors who sell authentic food, drink, arts, crafts, family histories and other items deeply rooted in these rich cultures.

As part of the Northwestern USA and Canadian Highland Games festival circuit, the event has the potential to draw thousands of visitors and participants to Newport. As example, the 2010 Highland Games at Enumclaw, WA recently attracted 29,000 attendees. The family friendly festival in Newport is intended to be affordable for both locals and visitors who will be traveling to the central Oregon coast to partake in this exciting experience.

Tentative plans for the inaugural Newport festival include:
• Highland Games sanctioned and judged by the Scottish-American Athletic Assn.
• an Irish Céilí (‘kay-lee’ or community dance party) at the Newport Recreation Center
• a Kilted Kilometer fun run and Clan torched bonfire on the beach
• a Celtic heritage parade along Newport’s historic Bayfront
• Live performances of traditional and modern Celtic music and dance
• Live performances of Pipe and Drum corps
• Live entertainment with plays, performers, cultural historians and dogs
• Celtic themed arts and crafts, food, beverage and business vendors
• Heritage displays featuring family history and genealogy of the clans
• Audience participation events for both adults and children will feature contests like greasy pole, bonniest knees and haggis eating.

Kickoff events include Irish Céilí (‘kay-lee’), a community dance organized by Newport resident Susan Spencer, owner of Bridie’s Irish Faire. “Long before the advent of ‘Facebook’, these lively dances facilitated social networks for people from surrounding local villages, which involved storytelling through music and dance and, in some cases, led to courtship and marriage.” says Spencer. Our Céilidh will be held on Friday, June 10 at the Newport Recreation Center from 6:30 to 9:00 pm and will feature international Irish dance performer, Maldon Meehan & Friends, as our guest caller and Céilí band. (maldonmeehan.com)

“The Celtic Clans and societies have been summoned to attend and will be on hand to answer questions about family names and histories,” explains Toledo resident Robert MacGregor, Clan coordinator for the festival. “On Friday night, we will light a bonfire on the beach signaling the gathering has begun.”

Saturday’s festival will commence with a lone Piper’s call at the north end of Newport’s famous Yaquina Bay Bridge. Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2011, the bridge was designed and built by Conde B. McCullough. The piper will then lead a Celtic heritage parade of the clans, pipe bands, reenactment players, Celtic people and pups along Newport’s Bayfront.

The Scottish Highland Games is a two-day competition beginning Saturday morning June 11. Newport resident Darrell Tatem is the Director of the Highland Games and is himself a judge and former athlete. Tatem explains, “Competitors’ scores at this event will be recognized by the Scottish-American Athletic Association. Points earned in competition in disciplines like tossing the caber or throwing the Scottish hammer count toward the season titles on the greater Northwestern US and Canadian Highland Games festival circuit.”

Athletics Coordinator Liam Hughes (who holds the same position in the City of Newport’s Recreation Department) hopes the Highland Games will inspire local young athletes to discover a novel, although ancient, form of sporting competition. “It is believed the origins of the games are rooted in training for warfare, these events have genuine historical purpose, which makes their present-day existence very meaningful to the competitors,” explains Hughes.

Additional sporting events will include a pre-festival golf fundraiser, a “Kilted Kilometer” fun run on the beach and a tug-o-war for competitors who sign up as teams to compete. Lincoln County Sheriff Dennis Dotson has already thrown down the gauntlet for other local agencies who wish to compete against his team of husky jailers.

The festival and games are being brought to life through the dedication of local Lincoln County volunteers and business owners whose common bond is a desire to share their pride in their Celtic culture. Produced by the City of Newport’s Parks and Recreation Department, the goal is to create a major annual festival for the entire community. The organizers are committed to presenting Celtic culture, heritage, music, crafts and other activities to its patrons accurately. The goal is to do this in a way that honors family legacy and traditions while educating the general public.

Newport resident Pete McKeeman, owner of The Digital Diner, says “Each of us on the organizing team has had the same goal. We have volunteered our time and skills to develop this opportunity for a new and exciting early-season event here in Newport. We’re certain this event will help to make Newport a new destination for those who have never been here before.”

Belinda Goody, the festival’s Event Manager and owner of Caledonia House Bed & Breakfast in Seal Rock says, “There are so many ways for people to participate in this festival; through sponsorship, advertising, performing, volunteering or just attending - everyone has an opportunity to take part in the festival’s success while having a great time.”

For additional information, visit newportcelticfestival.com, find us on Facebook or contact us at info@newportcelticfestival.com

News Release from Newport Celtic Festival & Highland Games