CelticFest organisers are pleased to announce early bird tickets are now available for the CelticFest Gathering.
The festival’s main ticketed event will be held on Saturday 26 March at the Warwick Showgrounds.
Entry is $15 for adults and $5 for school-age children.
Festival-goers will be able to immerse themselves in a full day of events to celebrate all things Celtic.
This includes highland games-heavy events, pipe band competition, Irish dancing, highland dancing competition, clan gathering, Celtic choir, medieval village, Celtic-themed markets, and music from bands such as Limerick, and an evening performance from the Irish band The Gathering.
CelticFest is a celebration of the Southern Downs’ rich Scottish and Irish heritage.
It is a continuation of the Warwick Caledonian Society’s 150th anniversary celebrations from March 2021.
Warwick Caledonian Society chieftain Alexander Manfield said those who attended the 150 year celebrations will have some idea of what to expect from CelticFest.
“From medieval re-enactments to marching bands, from highland games to highland dancing, from pipe bands to Celtic rock bands, from highland coos (cows) to haggis, it will be like the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo right here in Warwick,” Andrew said.
He said that the Warwick business community will also reap the benefits of CelticFest, with accommodation providers already receiving bookings for the event.
“The Warwick Showgrounds is going to transform into a sea of tartan, armour, music, dance and traditional food,” Andrew said.
“This is going to be a brilliant festival.”
CelticFest organisers said Warwick Sandstone, Warwick Friendly Society, Proterra, and Ironside Industry have committed to providing sponsorship for the event.
Warwick Sandstone spokesperson Jill Bockman said the organisation wishes the CelticFest planning committee good luck for a great outcome.
“It is our pleasure to be able to contribute towards an exciting new festival – another reason to put our great town of Warwick on the must-visit map,” Jill said.
In addition to the main Saturday event, CelticFest community events will be held on Friday 25 March and Sunday 27 March.
Some of these events will be free and some will have their own ticketing.
The CelticFest Community events will be held across many towns and villages in the region, including Warwick, Killarney, Allora, and Clifton.
These workshops, performances, and tours will celebrate the area’s Celtic heritage, music, art, dance, and natural beauty.
Club Warwick RSL will host toe-tappin’ Irish band Limerick (the Saturday after St Patrick’s Day), and is planning other Celtic-themed events leading up to CelticFest.
Southern Downs Steam Railway will offer a trip to Clifton on Sunday 27 March, which will include lunch at O’Shanley’s Irish Bar and Restaurant.
Warwick Art Gallery will host a Celtic-themed art exhibition, ‘Cruthaich’ (Gaelic for ‘create’), between 3 March and 19 April.
The gallery is currently inviting submissions from artists until 11 February.
Other events include Scots PGC College Pipe Band Competition on Sunday 27 March, and Glengallan Homestead and Warwick’s Pringle Cottage hosting roaming pipers to celebrate the region’s history.
Warwick Parkrun will host a Scottish-themed parkrun on the morning of Saturday 26 March, and is inviting CelticFest attendees to get their tartan on for a running start to the event.
This is just a taste of what CelticFest visitors can expect.
CelticFest is assisted by the Local Event Funding Program (LEFP), which is a temporary funding program facilitated by Southern Downs Regional Council and jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments.
It is a component of the 2019 Queensland Bushfires Community Recovery Package under Category C of the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
Information about CelticFest and CelticFest Community events will be available via the CelticFest website at celticfestqld.com.au and CelticFest Warwick’s Facebook page.
CelticFest Gathering tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com.au
