Since 2002, the United Irish of Dayton Celtic Competition, offered by the United Irish of Dayton in partnership with 5 Rivers MetroParks, has been one of many area’s largest summer time occasions, permitting guests to expertise what the Celtic heritage holds expensive.
Competition goers can expertise conventional Celtic meals and drinks, genuine Celtic merchandise and cultural reveals for all ages.
Festivities embrace 5K and 10K races, dwell music, dancing and extra, together with 20 meals distributors and 40 Celtic market distributors.
The competition has three levels: the United Irish Major Stage, the WDTN Conventional Stage and the Emerald Isle Stage. American Signal Language (ASL) interpreters complement some performances all through the weekend.
The competition options six headliner bands, together with Gaelic Storm (California), JigJam (Eire), The Fitzgeralds (Canada), Socks within the Frying Pan (Eire), Davy Holt (Scotland) and The Drowsy Lads (Columbus).
This 12 months may even function a number of regional and native music acts, together with Dulahan, Father Son and Associates, Jameson’s Folly, Miami Valley Pipes and Drums, Kennedy’s Kitchen, Dogwood Street, The Pints, Skylark and The Roving Rogues.
Dulahan, a Dayton-based Celtic and Americana band, has carried out on the Dayton Celtic Competition yearly since its inception over 20 years in the past. Dulahan will launch its eleventh album, “Bumps within the Street,” at this 12 months’s competition — a three-day album launch weekend for the band.
“We at all times deliver an added rollicking vitality to our annual performances there in appreciation for the boldness [Dayton Celtic Festival] confirmed us in these early days,” stated Kyle Aughe, multi-instrumentalist in Dulahan. “It’s additionally the right setting to showcase a brand new album with our loyal hometown followers.”
There will likely be dance performances all through the weekend by a number of Irish Dance teams, together with the Celtic Academy of Irish Dance, McGovern Irish Dance and Dwyer College of Irish Dance.
Cultural reveals and shows — by 5 Factors Cloggers, Irish storyteller Cathy Jo Smith and others — will get festivalgoers into the Celtic spirit.
Workshops in regards to the Irish language, etiquette and introductions to conventional Irish and Scottish musical devices — like bagpipes, bouzoukis and dulcimers — may even be supplied.
A Gaelic Mass will likely be held at 10 a.m. on Sunday on the United Irish Major Stage, and offered in Gaelic and English, together with Irish dancing and pipers to complement the Mass.
Leisure performances and cultural reveals happen underneath coated seating. Field 21 Rescue can also be on-site in case an emergency arises.
Parking is obtainable close to the competition web site. Competition goers are inspired to go to the web site for the most recent parking info.
In line with the press launch, “the brand new Designated Outside Refreshment Space (DORA) close to Riverscape Metropark and the Dragons Baseball Discipline won’t embrace the Dayton Celtic Competition footprint for the weekend of the competition.” Moreover, beverage purchases will likely be cashless this 12 months.
Extra taking place at RiverScape
Earlier in July, Riverscape guests can get pleasure from a various array of genres from native and regional acts throughout the RiverScape Summer season Music Sequence concert events, sponsored by the Jack W. & Sally D. Eichelberger Basis and Enterprise Roofing.
As a brand new addition this 12 months, RiverScape Metropark may even host Tuesday Nights within the Park, which alternate between dwell music and video games, like cornhole and music bingo, on Tuesday evenings, 7 to 9 p.m.
RiverScape will maintain free health choices that includes high-impact group exercises, mindfully-focused packages and dance health all through July. Free health lessons embrace Health within the Park’s yoga and Zumba lessons, offered by Kettering Well being and McGohan Brabender.
Verify metroparks.org for the complete schedule and extra occasion info.
Learn how to go
What: The United Irish of Dayton Celtic Festival
When: 5:30-11 p.m. Friday, July 26; 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, July 27 and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, July 28
The place: RiverScape MetroPark, 237 E Monument Ave., Dayton
Value: Free
