Celtic music and bagpipes will be heard and the Highland Games Athletes will be throwing the caber when the Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival returns to downtown Bethlehem Sept. 24-26. In its 34th year, Celtic Cultural Alliance (CCA) announced the return of the Celtic Classic, the largest free Celtic festival in North America, after last year was canceled due to COVID-19.

“We realize it has been a challenging year for local businesses, vendors and performers, and we look forward to the return of Celtic Classic to not only celebrate Celtic culture with the people in our region, but to support our community economically,” stated Jayne Ann Recker, xecutive director.

Celtic Classic hosts the U.S. National Highland Games Championship, which features the top 10 pro athletes in the United States competing for the title at Celtic Classic. Selected top Pipe bands from the East Coast will compete on Saturday and Sunday for awards.

For Celtic music fans, five stages of performers engage the audiences with traditional Celtic, Celtic rock and folk. Crowd favorites such as the Kilmaine Saints and Seamus Kennedy will be returning, while up and coming performers such as Fig for a Kiss and the Chivalrous Crickets will bring new energy to the weekend. Having played in 2018, Celtic Aire, the premier Celtic band of the United States Air Force, will be performing on Saturday and Sunday.

A highlight of the weekend, the Showing of the Tartan parade, will step off at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 25. It includes pipe bands, high school bands, dignitaries, and the Scottish clans and Celtic societies.

The Celtic Heritage Hollow programming continues to focus on the culture of the seven Celtic nations. This area will have children’s activities, Celtic societies and clans, and several cultural competitions. The Irish 69th, a Civil War reenactment group, will be having an encampment for the first time in over a decade.

“Celtic Cultural Alliance will continue to follow the latest CDC, state and city health department standards to ensure the safety of our patrons, volunteers, food vendors, retail merchants, and performers,” added Recker.

The 34th annual Celtic Classic runs from Friday, Sept. 24 through Sunday, Sept. 26 in downtown historic Bethlehem. For more information, directions, volunteering opportunities and the weekend’s schedule, log on to www.celticfest.org. For up-to-the-minute information and updates, follow Celtic Classic on Twitter (@CelticClassic) and friend them on Facebook (facebook.com/CelticClassic).

For more information on the Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival and other Celtic Cultural Alliance events, visit the organization’s website at www.celticfest.org.

Contributed article