Fletcher – In response to the enthusiasm of over 4,000 attendees of the 2023 Asheville Celtic Festival, the popular winter event is set to expand to a two-day extravaganza in February 2024. The fourth annual Asheville Celtic Festival, held indoors and outdoors at the WNC Agriculture Center in Fletcher, right outside Asheville and adjacent to the Asheville Regional Airport, will now take place from Saturday, February 17 to Sunday, February 18.
“Our goal when we developed the festival was to bring the Celtic spirit of the Seven Nations to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, while offering an indoor/outdoor event during the winter months,” said Mark Ferguson, co-founder of the festival. “The response has been phenomenal since the start, with attendance increasing every year. We’re thrilled to expand to two days in 2024, and tickets are already going fast.”
Attendees can expect an exhilarating lineup of entertainment suitable for the entire family. The festival will feature live Celtic music performances by acclaimed bands including ALBANNACH from Glasgow Scotland, SYR from Columbia S.C., and Unspoken Tradition from Cherryville, N.C. Additionally, visitors will be treated to live full-armored sword fighting at the castle, courtesy of The Warriors of Ash-sword school. The electrifying sounds of the Grandfather Mountain Pipe and Drum Band, along with the Knoxville pipe and drum Band, will ceremoniously open the event at 11 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
But that’s not all – the festival boasts an array of captivating features to keep attendees entertained throughout the weekend. Border Collie demonstrations, Celtic educational role play groups, Scottish athletic displays, Celtic dog clubs, family heritage research opportunities, and indulgent Celtic foods and beverages, including scotch tastings, will all be part of the experience. Attendees can also look forward to a royal court, castle, and even a Trebuchet (Catapult), as well as a Celtic village showcasing the craftsmanship of talented artisans. And, of course, kilts will be a common sight, adding to the charm of the festival.
The Asheville Celtic Festival is the main event organized by the Asheville Celtic Group, a non-profit corporation operating under 501(c)3 status. The group’s primary mission revolves around enlightening individuals about the historic Celtic cultural influences brought to the Western North Carolina mountains by settlers from the Seven Nations between 1750 and 1850. To find out more about the festival, interested individuals can visit the festival’s website at www.ashevillecelticfest.com or follow them on Facebook @ashevillecelticfest.