Several Celtic Bands to Headline
at 2008 Dayton Celtic Festival

May 9, 2008
Dayton, OH - The seventh annual Dayton Celtic Festival takes place at RiverScape MetroPark, 111 E. Monument Ave. in Downtown Dayton from Friday, July 25th, through Sunday, July 27th.  The event will feature headliner bands Slide, Gaelic Storm, and Scythian.  Admission is FREE.  The Dayton Celtic Festival is presented by the United Irish of Dayton, Inc. and Five Rivers MetroParks.  Festival hours are 5-11 p.m. Friday, 12 Noon – 11 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday.

Slide is a traditional band from Ireland who from best newcomers in 2001 to Young Musicwide award winners in 2006 continues to grow in popularity. Slide performs contemporary and traditional Irish music and dances across fingerboards and piano keys, buttons and bows. 

Gaelic Storm, which has made several performances at the festival, offers a dynamic stage show features rousing, upbeat vocals, wild energetic dance tunes, haunting ballads and infectious madcap humor.  In 1997, Gaelic Storm made an appearance in the blockbuster film “Titanic”. 

Scythian is a Washington DC-based Celtic-flavored world music group of classically trained musicians who went from performing on the streets of Old Town Alexandria in 2002 to playing some of the largest music festivals in the U.S. in 2006 and 2007.

Also, the weekend will feature performances from the following musical and dance groups: Brendan Loughrey; The Kreellers; Vinegar Hill; Roger Drawdy & The Firestarters; Dulahan; Father, Son & Friends; Homeland; 9 Castle Close; McGovern Ceili Dancers; Celtic Academy of Irish Dance; St. Andrew's Society Highland Dancers; and Larry Fortson, a Military Piper. 

In addition, two new activities at this year’s festival are a family bike ride and a tug-of-war contest.  The bike ride will take place on Saturday, July 26th at 1:30 p.m. in honor of the Scotsman who invented the bicycle.  The ride will encompass 3-5 miles.  Also, the ancient Celtic game of tug-a-war between the Dayton police and firemen takes place on Sunday, July 27th at 1:00 p.m.  For more info on either activity, contact Fran Phillips at (937) 254-8727 or richphil1@sbcglobal.net or www.unitedirishofdayton.org.

Two other exciting activities are the Celtic Cornhole tournaments and the 5K Run/Walk.  The Cornhole tournaments will be held on Saturday, July 26th.  The Family Fun/Youth Tournament begins at 2 p.m. and the Open Tournament begins at 6 p.m.  For more information on Cornhole, contact Katie Whisenhunt at (937) 293-1094 or whisenhunt@ameritech.net or www.unitedirishofdayton.org.

The Dayton Celtic Festival 5K Run/Walk, sponsored by Kettering Sports Medicine, will be held on Saturday, July 26th, at 6 p.m. The course is predominately on the recreation trail (bikeway).  This race is open to runners and walkers of all ages. For more information on this event contact Charley Bolton at (937) 836-7615 or dcfentertainment@unitedirishofdayton.org or www.unitedirishofdayton.org.

Do you have kids?  If so, the Dayton Celtic Festival is a “kid friendly” event.  Stop by Dayton’s CW’s “Family Fun Zone” on Saturday, July 26th, from 12-noon to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, July 27th, from 11 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  This area contains a Smallville Rock Climbing Wall, One Tree Hill Basketball Shootout, Smackdown Bounce House, as well as games and other prizes. 

Other children’s activities are located in the Rainbow's End Children's Area, including games,  crafts, fairy house building, and other activities.  In addition, the annual children’s parade will begin at 12:00 on Saturday and start at the far west end of the festival (the west end of United Irish stage blacktop area) at the statue of children holding hands.  The parade route will follow the river walk, go through the tunnel and end at the Rainbow’s End Children’s Area. The parade will be led by a piper from the Miami Valley Pipes and Drums Corps.
 
Are you interested in Celtic Culture?  If so, the Cultural Area will have a large tent with returning Celtic weavers, harp makers, Celtic names and languages, and Celtic Pirate.  The Scots Clans and Welsh representative will also be set-up to answer questions about genealogy.  

Another traditional cultural feature at the festival is Clan Desdin, a group portraying a historical re-enactment of Highland Scots newly arrived in the Colonies. This group will camp next to the river in a period-correct 18th Scottish camp and demonstrate authentic 18th century cooking skills, break out into sword fights, interact with the public, perform small skits depicting typical Scottish behavior and historical scenes, crafting exhibits, and conduct conversations with the public answering questions and explaining the connection between the Scots and the early Appalachians who inhabited the Dayton area.
Also, the United Irish of Dayton, in partnership with the University of Dayton’s Continuing Education Department, will sponsor the Dayton Irish Arts Institute, a set of Celtic workshops from Thursday, July 24th, through Sunday, July 27th, prior to and during the festival.  The University of Dayton will host some of the workshops on its campus.  The purpose of the workshops is to provide area residents with high quality Irish cultural instruction in an effort to increase and strengthen Irish traditions in the Miami Valley.  The breadth of instruction includes music, arts and crafts, language and dance, with both group and individual sessions available.  Individual instruction will occur in the afternoon on Thursday and Friday July 24th and 25th.
In addition, a musical session will be held Thursday, July 24th, from 8:30 to 11:00 PM at Flanagan's Irish Pub, 101 E Stewart St.  in Dayton, Ohio.  The featured hosts will be the band Slide, but it is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.  For more information on the Irish Arts Institute or this music session, contact Kevin Graham at (937) 864-2641 or kevingraham@woh.rr.com  or www.unitedirishofdayton.org. 

Other ways to experience Celtic culture include a Gaelic Mass on Sunday and various ethnic and food vendors throughout the weekend.  Traditional food and beverage vendors will also provide their products. 
For information on all events go to www.unitedirishofdayton.org or call (937) 254-0194.