Angels Camp, CA — The Celtic Faire is celebrating its forty year anniversary in Angels Camp this weekend. In 1986, Celtic Faire founder, Patrick Michael Karnahan, had just returned from Ireland and wanted to display his collection of art work. Working with the local Arts Council, he hired musicians and provided both food and drink inside of the Creekside Building at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds. Karnahan recalls he was invited to the local radio stations to promote the very first Celtic Faire. Karnahan, will be displaying his recent original oil paintings of Ireland and Scotland at the event that celebrates the cultures of Brittany (Breizh), Cornwall (Kernow), Wales (Cymru), Scotland (Alba), Ireland (Éire), Isle of Man (Mannin, or Ellan Vannin) Galicia (Galiza), and Asturias, (Asturies).
Over the years, the Faire has grown in the number of attendees, musicians, vendors and events. The Celtic Faire gained national attention, when National Geographic filmed the jousting several years ago, and it gets international attention as well. According to Karnahan, people come from overseas just to attend the annual event. The Faire moved to Calaveras County in 1998, then in 2008 moved back to Sonora and it has been at the Calaveras Fairgrounds for the past several years. Parking is free at the Calaveras Fairgrounds and the weather forecast calls for sun.
The Celtic Faire is three days, kicking off with the student and education day on Friday with no alcohol served, because it is a day for cultural and historical learning and then faire is open all day Saturday and Sunday starting at 10 AM both days. This year’s scheduled of events is here.
The Faire will present several stages of music featuring: Wicked Tinkers, O’Connell Street, Sequoia, The Katie Jane Band, Ericia & Friends, The Black Irish Band, Golden Bough, Cooking with Turf, Fresno Stag, and Thistle Pipes & Drums.
The Highland Competition Games includes nine events: Open Stone, Braemar Stone, Heavy and Light Hammers, Heavy and Light Weight for Distance, Caber, Weight over Bar and Sheaf.
Witness the Imperial Knights Tournament of Champions in the fairground’s arena. The Imperial Knights Production Company hosts an exciting medieval tournament with spectacular stunts on horseback, jousting and hand-to-hand combat with a variety of medieval weapons. Other entertainment includes The Incredible Kevin Axtell, White Rose Forge, Terpsichore’s Hafla, and The Celtic Caterer.
Clans and Societies in attendance will include: Clan Forbes; Clan Wallace; Clan Donald, USA; Clan Graham of the West; Clan Cian; Clan MacLean; House of Gordon, USA; Irish Heritage Society of Sacramento; Mother Lode Scots Society; Nevada Society of Scottish Clans; Saint Andrew’s Society of San Francisco; South Bay Scottish Society
Traditional foods and food trucks will be onsite, and the whiskey tasting event this year features three categories of spirit blends: Scottish Single Malts, Scottish blends, and Irish whiskeys.
For tickets and complete schedule information, log on to calaverascelticfaire.com
