Have a hot time with the Hooligans.
Another weekend, another festival.
This time out, its the 15th Annual Celtic Festival at Graeme Park in Horsham, Montgomery County.
As festivals go, this one’s a nice comfy size, spread out across the park, which features the historic Keith House, once home—in the early 1700s—to the provincial governor of Pennsylvania, Sir William Keith.
The festival started out pretty modestly, says park spokesman Carla Loughlin, but over the past six or seven years it has grown. The Graeme Park Celtic Festival features about 30 vendors selling all manner of Celtic-themed merch, from T-shirts to jewelry to gifts. Occupying a corner of the park will be about 10 Scottish clans and non-profits, hosting their customary There’s music all day on the main stage, local Irish dancers and three pipe bands—Bucks Caledonian, McKay and McGregor, circling up and playing several times during the day. The full schedule is below.
The festival started out as solely Scottish, Loughlin says, in honor of the local Keith, Graeme, and Fergusson families, but the festival is really for Celts of every stripe.
“Maybe the first few years it may have just been Scottish, but since then we’ve always included the Irish, and even Cornish the past few years,” Loughlin says.
In the past, the festival has drawn between 1,000 and 2,000 visitors, says Loughlin. “It all depends on the weather,” she says. “The weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow (Saturday), so we should be on the higher side.”
Here’s the schedule:
Schedule of Events
Main Stage (behind the Keith House)
11:30: Flag raising and pipe bands
12:00: Carl Peterson
12:30: Sabo School of Irish Dance
1:00: Timoney School of Irish Dance
1:30: Pipe Bands
2:00: The Martin Family Band
3:00: Sabo School of Irish Dance
3:30: Timoney School of Irish Dance
4:00: The Martin Family Band
5:00: The Hooligans
5:45: Pipe Bands
6:15: The Hooligans
Barnyard
Carl Peterson
Front of the Keith House
Now & Then
WireHarp
Kids’ Area
The Kilted Juggler
To get there: Graeme Park is at 859 County Line Road in Horsham.