Eugene will celebrate its Scottish and Irish history Saturday during the 3rd annual Celtic Heritage Festival.
Featuring food, music and lectures about Scottish and Irish cultures and customs, the festival will give Eugene residents the opportunity to rediscover their roots or just enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of Celtic culture.
Heather Thompson, the festival’s manager, said that now “more people are finding out about their Celtic heritage, and they want to know more.”
By organizing the festival, Thompson said she hopes that even those without Celtic roots will come and see what it has to offer. One thing Thompson thinks will attract people is the food.
“We have a wonderful woman making traditional stew, baked goods and vegetarian and roasted meat sandwiches,” she said. “It’s the food our ancestors had access to — not very modern at all. It’s real hearty and darn fine.”
The festival will also feature two performances by the Eugene Highlanders bagpipe and drum band, led by Hector Smith. Smith, who is a founding charter member of the band along with drummer Holly Hill, is one of the longest-standing pipe majors in the world. Smith will also give a lecture Saturday about Oregon’s Celtic history.
“The Celts were among the first whites to settle in this part of the country,” Smith said. “There is a Scottish and Irish subculture that is extremely strong throughout the Pacific Northwest.”
Laura Zaerr and other members of Village Green, a traditional Irish band featuring Celtic harps and flutes, will perform on Sunday. Zaerr described the band’s music as “mostly traditional, plus some original stuff that we wrote.”
“We draw on our classical backgrounds,” Zaerr said, “and one day six years ago we decided to form the band and start playing Celtic music.”
The Nettles, a progressive Celtic band from Corvallis, will take the stage Saturday and play their blend of traditional Celtic music, blues and jazz.
Kevin Johnsrude, guitar and bass player for the band, called The Nettles “a Celtic jam band” and cited jam bands like Phish and Widespread Panic as influences.
“We used to improvise off of melodies in a living room,” Johnsrude said. “We eventually formed a band because no one else was doing what we’re doing.”
The Nettles played last year’s Celtic Heritage Festival, and Johnsrude said the turnout was “great, especially since it’s a young festival.”
The festival will be held at Knights of Pythias Hall, located at 420 W. 12th Ave., and will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors for a two-day pass. For individual days, tickets are $12 for Saturday and $8 for Sunday for adults and $10 for Saturday and $6 for Sunday for seniors. Children younger than 13 will be admitted for $2. Tickets are available at Buy and Sell Music Center, Mrs. Thompson’s and all Ticketmaster locations.