Almonte Celtfest is Back with Big Energy for 28th Edition

Press Release – Almonte Celtfest

Mark your calendars, make some plans, and tell your friends – Almonte Celtfest is back in Gemmill Park for a fine weekend of family-friendly entertainment July 5-7. 

All the way from Newfoundland, Rum Ragged will be kicking off Almonte Celtfest, with special guest Mariner’s Curse, on Friday, July 5. Tickets for opening night are $30 and are available through Tickets Please and at the gate.

And what an opening night it will be! Rum Ragged has made a name for themselves with their distinctive blend of striking vocal harmonies, staggering musicianship, and captivating storytelling. Featuring bouzouki, fiddle, bodhran, banjo, guitar and button accordion, these Juno-nominated, new champions of East Coast music enliven and enlighten audiences with songs and tune sets that they deliver with an honest swagger that is far beyond their years.  With reverence for their roots and a creative, contemporary edge, this young band have quickly become known as the finest purveyors of a great living musical tradition.

Thanks to the generosity of festival sponsors, entrance to Saturday and Sunday’s programming continues to be by donation at the gate. The weekend also promises plenty of music, dancing, and fun in the park from noon till late. From party band East Coast Experience and Almonte favourite Kelly Sloan, to the Québécois folk sound of Bon Débarras, the lineup has something for everyone. Among other highlights are Lonesome George from Belfast, Ireland, who combine rip-roaring reels and finger-picking finesse with stirring socially conscious songwriting and their roots in Irish traditional music. Dancing fans should be sure to catch the electrifying family band the Fitzgeralds, featuring 3-time Canadian Grandmaster Fiddle and Step Dance champions Tom, Kerry & Julie Fitzgerald, and local SFH Irish Dance Studios.

This year’s festival also carries on a strong tradition of showcasing local Celtic musicians with plenty of talented area musicians on the bill including community favourites the Barley Shakers, step dancing fiddler Terri-Lynn Mahusky, the fine fiddling of Kyle Felhaver, Saloon Dion, Traditional Fare, Concession 23, and Valley Voices of Almonte. Upcoming local talent will be showcased at the presentation of the Danny O'Connell Memorial Award, and the Riverthieves will close out the weekend with a musical one-two punch of original and traditional tunes that are sure to get you up out of your camp chair one last time!

Rounding out the event, there will be Celtic music workshops where you can learn from the musicians playing in the festival, activities for the kids,  food trucks, artisans, buskers downtown, and a seniors’ shade tent, making this a widely accessible, family-friendly event. With all of this to discover, could a summer weekend get any better?

Almonte Celtfest would like to thank the Town of Mississippi Mills and Heritage Canada, along with the many sponsors, for their support that will ensure that this year’s festival is one of the best yet.

Almonte Celtfest is July 5–7, 2024 – see you there!

Check out https://almonteceltfest.com for details and follow @AlmonteCeltfest on Facebook and Instagram for festival news and updates.