Image: Craig Nagy
CelticFest Vancouver, March 6-17, promises to be a rich celebration of traditional and contemporary Celtic culture. Visitors can enjoy music, dance, family fun, food and a parade during the 12-day, fun-filled festival. With so much going on you’re biggest problem will be deciding what to attend. To help you choose we’ve picked out some highlights we think you’ll enjoy.
Musical highlights include festival opener Alan Doyle at the Vogue Theatre on March 6, and concerts and parties at the Imperial including a Tribute to the Pogues, March 7, CelticFest Ceilidh, March 14 and Delhi 2 Dublin, March 15.
Doolin’s Irish Pub, The Belmont, and Mahony & Sons will offer near non-stop ticketed performances by musicians, bands and dancers throughout CelticFest, as well as whiskey tasting 101 and other connoisseurs events.
The weekend of March 14-15, Granville Street between Robson & Nelson will be transformed into the Celtic Village where visitors can enjoy free music and dance performances on the Doolin’s stage, face-painting, arts and crafts and kids activities, shopping for food and Celtic treasures.
The same weekend, Tom Lee Music Hall on Granville Street will host a series of free performances and workshops including recitals by the Vancouver Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, O’Connor-O’Brien School of Irish Dance, the play Dylan Thomas 100 (1914-2014) and fiddle, uilleann pipes and whistle workshops.
Last but not least, the 11th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, starting 11 am on Sunday March 15, is the festival’s most popular free event. More than 200,000 spectators are expected to line the parade route, down Howe Street, to cheer on award-winning performers including Celtic musicians, pipe and drum bands, Scottish and Irish dancers, the Vancouver police motorcycle and mounted horse drill teams and other parade participants.
Last modified: March 9, 2015
