Into every festival a little rain must fall, last year we proved that adage well. This year may prove to be on the moist side. FEAR NOT! And take heart my dear festival patrons! There is hope for you wool wearing wetties, the Sparta Celtic festival actually has an indoor venue with a hard roof and walls, and the best part… there is a stage with music and a kitchen with food. We have a great lineup on the pub stage with fabulous acts. Start up your day with a great traditional band Thistle head, the lovely traditional tones of Lee Mulder, and the comic, witty song weaver Celtic Kilroy. Toby Bresnahan will leave you breathless with his haunting mellow original tunes, Peat in the Creel will keep your toes tapping with their lively jigs and reels. Be prepared to rev your engines as we shift into overdrive with Gasta. Lexi Schaub, an unknown virtuoso fresh from “Travers City idol” will astound you with her beautiful voice. Kinfyre’s high energy fusion of traditional / bluegrass will keep your pulse racing and your feet stomping. 7:30pm Ending the show in true Celtic Fest fashion we will put all the musicians left standing into a blender and dump them on stage for a true no holds barred Celtic music session where everyone takes a turn playing whatever traditional, rock, mellow fusion, no one knows what will happen except it is guaranteed to be a great show.
The Main stage will prove to be a blast as well with many returning acts that have donated their skills for your enjoyment. The Pipe band will start us off in our own traditional way of waking the Celtic spirit in us all. The morning will follow with performances from two of the best dance schools around, the Hubbardston Irish Dance Troupe and the Ardan Academy Dancers, they are a favorite wherever they go. The Conklin Ceili Band will take the stage to show off their unique ideas on traditional music, followed by the comically interesting and uniquely strange Bells of River City Morris Dancers, their brand of half song half comic play and half nonsense hails from traditional English countryside culture, and is entertaining no matter where you hail from. Moving into the evening the stage will heat up as the high energy group The Billies performs, don’t miss their version of “sweet child o’ mine”. Gasta will take the stage to keep the energy high (don’t forget I said before that this duo has a special treat for you all). And finally the feature act that has racked awards, accolades, and genuine love from all over Michigan, The Waxies will throw their Dargle to close your show in their own raucous fast passed style that gets you smiling and pumping your fist in defiance.
So whatever your taste or tolerance of dampness, our show will go on rain or shine, be it inside on the pub stage or outside taking bets on which one of the highland gamers kilts will shrink first or farthest in the authentic highland weather. Come out bring your family and friends and enjoy your Sparta Celtic Festival.
Cant wait to see your there, don’t forget to buy your votes for Murph for Lord of the kilt!
