The sounds of bagpipes and drums will fill the air at Genesee Country Village & Museum’s annual Celtic Faire, coming up Saturday, June 11, and Sunday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors will find a pan-Celtic celebration of heritage music, dance, and authentic food and drink, with an artisan fair, clan booths, Highland Games, Irish Dancing, a talk about tartan in the John L. Wehle Gallery, and more.
Visitors will enjoy the sounds of A Bit of Irish Street Band and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann of Rochester while exploring the museum grounds. Listen as the campus echoes with the thrum of traditional pipe and drum melodies as played by Celtic Spirit Pipe Band and Rochester Scottish Pipes & Drums. Watch demonstrations by ROCeltic and Rochester Academy of Irish Dance, and even join in for a group ceili (group dance) led by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann of Rochester.
From the Scottish Highlands, Emerald Isles, and rugged Welsh coastline to the Genesee Valley, Celtic traditions and roots run deep. Visit the booths of a number of Scottish clans represented in the Greater Rochester area to learn more about family history and lineage. Clans present will include: Clan Blair, Clan Masonic, Clan Cumming, Clan Sinclair, Daughters of Scotia, Clan Stewart, Clan Ferguson, Clan Hannary, The Scottish Heritage Society of Rochester, and Clan Kerr. After learning about family history at the clan booths, visit the John L. Wehle Gallery to explore samples of tartan and historic garments from the Susan Greene Costume Collection on display.
Circle around the Great Meadow to experience the fierce competition that is traditional Highland Games. Cheer on the Buffalo Heavies as they compete in historical Scottish demonstrations of strength, agility, and skill. Don’t miss the Adult Sheaf Toss, Roc City Gaelic’s hurling demonstrations, and the Children’s Feats of Strength competitions. New for 2022, visitors to the Celtic Faire can try their hand at the sheaf toss and learn the tricks of the trade from athletes for a $5 fee.
Enjoy a bite to eat or a historical craft beer the museum’s Depot Restaurant and Freight House Pub, or venture out into the festival to try specialty food vendors, including Dottie’s Lemonade, Infamous Welsh Cookie Co. The Historic Confectionery’s Bread Cart will be out in the village with a variety of warm, freshly baked breads until 2:30 p.m. (or until sold out), and the D.B. Munger & Co. Confectionery will be open, featuring a number of 19th-century baked foods.
A ticket to the Celtic Faire also includes admission to the Historic Village at GCV&M. Explore buildings throughout the Historic Village to find a number of trades, demonstrations, and activities related to Celtic heritage in the Genesee Valley region. Learn about skirting fleeces and sheep shearing on the Pioneer Farm, see Irish flax processing, spinning linen, and dyeing at Keiffer House, smell Irish soda bread baking in the Livingston Backus Kitchen, explore Irish crochet and Celtic lace demonstrations in the Town Hall, and more.
On Saturday, June 12, at 2 p.m., visitors will have the opportunity to attend a curator-hosted talk in the John L. Wehle Gallery: “Tartan and Plaid Mania.” This talk traces the history and tradition that is plaid and tartan, exploring this fabric taking the world by storm, and how has it changed over the ages. The program is paired with plaid and tartan items from 19th-century America, and will be hosted by Brandon Brooks, curator of the John L. Wehle Gallery.
Shop the artisan market to find everything from kilts, to traditional Welsh cookies, to jewelry and knits.
Tickets for Celtic Faire are available online at https://www.gcv.org/events/celtic-faire/, and purchasing tickets in advance is recommended to get the early bird discount. Celtic Faire tickets are $23 for adults, $20 for seniors (62+), $20 for students (13-18), $17 for youth (12 and under), and children under 2 are free when purchased online before 5 p.m. on Friday, June 10. Museum Members can attend Celtic Faire for free and are guaranteed admission. Visitors are encouraged to buy tickets online and save – there will be a small additional fee for tickets purchased at the door.
Tickets and more information about upcoming events can be found online at https://www.gcv.org/events/.
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