Festical Venues, Schedule & Tickets

Music Events

NEXT Festival will be in March, 2011!

See the 2009 Festival Schedule below

Guidebook_CelticFest09.pdfDownload the 2009 Festival Program Guide

Click icons below to sort schedule by genre, or click here to view the entire schedule

Festival Pick Festival Pick
Music Music Dance Dance Spoken Word Spoken Word Food & Beverage Food & Beverage
Workshop Music Workshop Scotch Tasting Scotch Tastings Kids / Family Kids Family
DATE / TIME EVENT VENUE TICKET INFO.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 11

Wednesday March 11
12 noon – 1:00 PM

Festival Pick Music

Lunch Time Concert with The Splinters

Longtime members of The Paperboys, Shannon Saunders (vocals, violin and guitar) and Cam Salay (vocals, guitar and banjo) have been performing and touring together since 1995. As The Splinters they explore a wide range of music from classical to Celtic, rock, pop, country, folk and bluegrass. They’re joined by guest bassist Doug Muir and Graham MacLennan on Highland Pipes. Come on down and help kick-start the festival at this free event!

Presented by Cadillac Fairview

Music Stage - Granville Square Plaza
200 Granville St. @ Cordova St.

Free Event

Wednesday March 11
Doors: 7:00 PM
Show: 8:00 PM

Festival Pick Music

Opening Night Gala Concert Featuring
the Duhks; Opening Act Daniel Lapp

In four short years, the Duhks have been nominated for a Grammy, won a Juno Award and taken North America by storm. This genre-bending band has impressed audiences from Nashville and New York City to Australia. The Duhks’ tunes start with Irish dance music and add soul, gospel, North American folk, Brazilian samba, old time string band riffs and zydeco, distilling these eclectic ingredients into their own clever new brew. The Duhks’ worldwide success is proving they’re on to something very special.

Joining them is special guest Daniel Lapp, BC’s award-winning fiddler and musical adventurer whose live performances always have the audience buzzing. Lapp has toured with Ricky Lee Jones and Spirit of the West, performed with Bowfire, and was a huge hit at CelticFest in 2007. With these two acts the first night kick-off for CelticFest 2009 will deliver extraordinary entertainment value!

Stadium Club @ Edgewater Casino
750 Pacific Blvd.S. (Plaza of Nations)

Advance $25
$32 at door

Buy Tickets Here
Service charges apply.

Wednesday March 11
8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Music

Mark Downey

Vancouver favourite Mark Downey is a native of County Meath, Ireland. His solo show showcases his vocal, guitar and bodhran talents as he travels through the diverse landscape of Irish songs, from popular to little-known, ancient to modern, framed in his engaging banter and storytelling.

Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug
1033 Granville St.

Wednesday March 11

Sionnaine Irish Dance Academy
8:30 PM

Murphy’s Lágh
9:00 PM

Dance Music

Sionnaine Irish Dance Academy & Murphy’s Lágh

This is Doolin’s UnOfficial CelticFest kick-off, and it launches with traditional and modern Irish dance from a talented troupe of young performers from the Sionnaine Irish Dance Academy.

Then it’s Murphy’s Lágh, with leader and Northern Ireland native Damian Brennan (vocals, guitar, tin whistle, bodhran), Shamma Sabir (vocals, fiddle), Mike "Magno" Magnusson (drums) and Cory Curtis (bass guitar). Together these four are a high-energy band that delivers Celtic and Irish pub favourites along with laugh-out-loud onstage routines.

Doolin's Irish Pub
654 Nelson St. @ Granville

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DATE / TIME EVENT VENUE TICKET INFO.
THURSDAY MARCH 12

Thursday March 12
9:00 PM

Music

Halifax Wharf Rats

The Halifax Wharf Rats could be called the quintessential Celtic party band. Brian Flanagan, along with Michelle Carlisle, Rick Chapman and Tim Renaud put on a fun, Maritime-style show that makes you want to invite them to every ceili, and hear them again and again!

Doolin’s Irish Pub
654 Nelson St.@ Granville

Thursday March 12
9:00 PM – 1:00 AM

Music

Clumsy Lovers

Always a crowd and an ear-pleaser, the Clumsy Lovers’ quirky lyrics are layered on a Celtic-flavoured musical mix of bluegrass and folk rock. Add in the pleasure of watching their sparkling musical interplay in live performance, and the result is a show that perfectly captures the spirit of CelticFest.

Ceili’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
670 Smithe St. @ Granville

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DATE / TIME EVENT VENUE TICKET INFO.
FRIDAY MARCH 13

Friday March 13
12 noon – 1:00 PM

Festival Pick Music

Lunch Time Concert with Mad Tradition

Mad Tradition is Roxanna Sabir, a member of the acclaimed fiddling, singing and step-dancing Sabir Sisters, and guitarist Craig McGregor, who’s also toured with the Sabir Sisters as well as Great Northern and Tiller's Folly. Together they create original arrangements of traditional fiddle music with influences from the Celtic, Old Time and Canadian folk repertoires, smoothly switching up from traditional slow and graceful airs to fiery, fast-paced jigs and reels.

Presented by Cadillac Fairview

Music Stage - Granville Square Plaza
200 Granville St. @ Cordova St.

Free Event

Friday March 13
Doors 8:00 PM
Show 9:00 PM

Festival Pick Music Dance

CelticSalsa - Celts & Cubans United!
Featuring The Paperboys together
with Puro Son

The energy and rhythms of two of the world’s great music traditions come together, as two of Canada’s finest Celtic and Salsa bands perform together on stage for the very first time.

The Paperboys' Juno-Award winning music has never stopped evolving. Tom Landa’s band still includes plenty of original Celtic sounds in its eclectic repertoire, but there’s much more on offer these days. Call it 'Guinness with a tequila chaser while listening to an Americana Jukebox'!

Puro Son was created by world-renowned Cuban trumpet player Miguelito Valdes, who has toured with Buena Vista Social Club diva Omara Portuando. His salsa band delivers tight, original arrangements that showcase its seductive and spicy contemporary Cuban sound. The band includes Cuban trumpet player and percussionist Chocolate, whose credentials include a multi-year stint with Cuban maestro Cesar Pedroso’s “Pupy y los que Son Son”.

This unique collaboration will offer great musicianship, a vast range of rhythms with brilliant brass and blazing fiddles and a packed dance floor – all the necessaries for a spectacular night.

Stadium Club @ Edgewater Casino
750 Pacific Blvd.S. (Plaza of Nations)

Advance $20
$26 at door

Buy Tickets Here
Service charges apply.

Friday March 13
4:30 PM

Music

Mark Downey

Vancouver favourite Mark Downey is a native of County Meath, Ireland. His solo show showcases his vocal, guitar and bodhran talents as he travels through the diverse landscape of Irish songs, from popular to little-known, ancient to modern, framed in his engaging banter and storytelling.

Doolin's Irish Pub
654 Nelson St. @ Granville

Friday March 13
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Music

Murphy's Lágh (Duo)

Damian Brennan is from Belfast where even as a very young child he knew music was his calling. He was mentored by the great Gogi McCullough (all Ireland Whistle Champion) and taught himself to sing, and to play the Bodhran and guitar. Shamma Sabir is a top Canadian fiddler and singer who has played and toured with her family’s Sabir Sisters group. Together they’ll charm and entertain you with their fine musicianship and winning stage personalities.

Ceili's Irish Pub & Restaurant
670 Smithe St. @ Granville

Friday March 13
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Music

Mark Downey

Vancouver favourite Mark Downey is a native of County Meath, Ireland. His solo show showcases his vocal, guitar and bodhran talents as he travels through the diverse landscape of Irish songs, from popular to little-known, ancient to modern, framed in his engaging banter and storytelling.

Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug
1033 Granville St.

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DATE / TIME EVENT VENUE TICKET INFO.
SATURDAY MARCH 14

Saturday March 14
12:00 Noon –1:00 PM

Festival PickMusic

Ballyhooley

In Irish Gaelic, ballyhooley means “party town”, and this aptly named band is always keen to celebrate Irish musical traditions, party-style. Playing nine different instruments among them, the band members delight in creating complex arrangements that illustrate the many moods of Irish music. Ballyhooley includes Vanessa Kay (fiddle, mandolin and vocals), Tim Fanning (uilleann pipes, flute, whistles and vocals) and Glenn Buholzer (guitar, mandolins and vocals).

Presented by IMPARK

Music Stage - Celtic Village
Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza
Howe & Georgia Street

Free Event

Saturday March 14
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Festival Pick Spoken Word Music

Battle of the Bards - A Literary Pub Crawl and Grand Finale

Three cheers! The Battle of the Bards is back for 2009, whisking you along on a flying tour of Granville Street’s best Irish pubs.

Dynamic spoken word artists Sean McGarragle, Duncan Shields and Warren Dean Fulton channel W.B. Yeats, Oscar Wilde and Robbie Burns respectively as they duke it out to be crowned “top bard” in an on-the-move poetry slam-style contest, judged by members of the audience in each venue.

The crawl culminates at The Cellar, where the bards will do final “battle” with Vancouver’s first official poet laureate George McWhirter presiding over the event. Expect plenty of artistic license as the performers offer their own hilarious perspectives on the masters with the help of improv fiddler Caitlan Read.

Who will be this year’s “top bard”? Why don’t you be the judge!

Pub Crawl
Round 1 - 2:00 PM @ Doolin's Irish Pub
Round 2 – 2:45 PM @ Ceili’s Irish Pub
Round 3 – 3:30 PM @ Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug
No admission charge @ Pub Crawl venues

Open Mic & Finale Event
The Cellar, 1006 Granville St. @ Nelson
4:25 PM to 6:00 PM

FREE










$5.00 at the door for Open Mic & Finale

Saturday March 14

2 shows:
2:00 PM & 4:00 PM

Festival Pick Spoken Word Music Kids / Family

King o' Men - A Robbie Burns Stage Play & 250th Birthday Tribute

Featuring John Hardie & Rob MacDonald

A literary and musical costumed event that will send you spinning back in time to the glorious days of Scotland’s most legendary poet and lyricist. 2009 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robbie Burns, a cultural icon in Scotland and around the world. This tribute features Rob MacDonald, a local piper, Chairman of “A Swarm of Drones” and a Burns aficionado. He’ll be telling the fascinating story of the life and times of Burns and playing some of the tunes Robert set words to.

His performance will be followed by King o’ Men, an exciting new one-man play directed by writer and actor John Hardie and making its Vancouver premiere at CelticFest. The production imagines one of Burns’ closest and oldest friends reminiscing to a curious journalist following the news of the great poet’s final passing. This show will appeal to loyal fans of Scotland's favourite literary son as well as those who are new to Burns’ story and works.

Here's what Chris White, Artistic Director of the Ottawa Folk Festival, had to say about a recent production of the play at the National Arts Centre: "With minimal set and few props, Hardie delivered the piece with enormous skill and subtlety, somehow managing to be humorous, informative and intensely moving all at once. The performance, which elicited an overwhelmingly positive audience response, is one that I will be forever grateful to have witnessed."

Tom Lee Music - Music Hall
3rd floor - 929 Granville St.

$12 at the Door

Saturday March 14
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Festival Pick Music Kids / Family

North Shore Celtic Ensemble

The North Shore Celtic Ensemble is a culturally diverse group of gifted young North Shore musicians, performing Celtic-based orchestral and folk music on string, wind and percussion instruments. Ensemble Director Claude Giguère has 20 years of experience as a professional violinist and teacher, and the group’s Artistic Director is Jay Knutson, a founding member of Spirit of the West with 25 years of experience in performance and musical workshops. Come and experience this ensemble’s youthful energy and original arrangements!

Presented by IMPARK

Music Stage - Celtic Village
Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza
Howe & Georgia Street

Free Event

Saturday March 14
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Festival Pick Music

Pastiche

Pastiche blends its own original material with traditional folk songs and tunes from France and Quebec, and the result is an artful mix of contemporary and past influences. Boris Favre (piano, lead vocals) has toured extensively throughout North America and Europe for a decade as bassist for the internationally acclaimed Celtic-funk band Mad Pudding, and he’s now with the Shona Le Mottée Band. Allan Dionne (accordion, vocals) has toured worldwide as the drummer for Mad Pudding and also currently plays with Shona LeMottée. Rich Sobel joins them on fiddle for this sure-to-be entertaining show.

Presented by IMPARK

Music Stage - Celtic Village
Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza
Howe & Georgia Street

Free Event

Saturday March 14
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Music

Pat Chessell

Pat Chessell has gained a strong, loyal fan base thanks to his exceptional acoustic guitar playing, warm, passionate vocals and his amusing stage presence. Chessell seems to have the ability to win over any audience, regardless of the venue, with his eclectic mix of Irish and Canadian folk music and his knack for making audiences feel like they’re sitting in an intimate Irish country pub instead of a big club or concert space.

Doolin's Irish Pub
654 Nelson St. @ Granville

Saturday March 14
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Festival Pick Music

The WhiskeyDicks

Whether this cheeky 5-piece band is playing blazing fiddle tunes or stomping out classics and original Celtic tunes, they are sure to please. The WhiskeyDicks have filled dance floors and beer glasses in some of Canada’s most prestigious venues. Here’s how they describe their music: “…varying from the edgier Celtic sounds of the Dropkick Murphy's to the radical intensified attacks of the infamous Pogues - and even some European influence as well. Name it we have tried it.” Sounds like the recipe for a ripping good time!

Presented by IMPARK

Music Stage - Celtic Village
Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza Howe & Georgia Street

Free Event

Saturday March 14
Doors 7:00 PM
Show 8:00 PM

Festival Pick Music Spoken Word

BIG St. Pat's Night Out!
– Featuring Ashley MacIsaac
Opening Act: Lúnasa

When Ashley MacIsaac is on the bill you know the venue is going to rock! This internationally famous fiddling wizard has an instinctive talent for connecting with an audience. Acknowledged as a musical pioneer, he takes traditional fiddling conventions in startling new directions. He has performed at Carnegie Hall six times, opened for Sting at a May Day concert in Rome and appeared at the acclaimed Celtic Colours International Festival. MacIsaac has become a Vancouver CelticFest favourite, and for sheer entertainment value this is the man to see and hear.

This annual St. Pat’s party also features Ireland’s famed acoustic ensemble Lúnasa. In just over a decade this all-star quintet (boasting ex-members of the Waterboys, the Sharon Shannon Band and Riverdance) has delivered hundreds of brilliant performances. They’ve won over audiences in the US, the UK, Europe, Japan and Australia with their signature mix of storytelling, musical fire and originality. Now they’re set to conquer Vancouver!

Plus an opening set from the hilarious Irish-American comic Maureen Langan, the official host of CelticFest 2009.

13 year old Quinn Bachand (guitarist) and Allan Dionne (of Pastiche - percussionist) will be accompanying Ashley tonight.

The Vogue Theatre
918 Granville St.

Advance $25
$32 at door

Buy Tickets Here
Service charges apply.

Saturday March 14
4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Music

Murphy's Lágh (Trio)

The Murphy's Lágh Trio is Damian Brennan (vocals, guitar, bohdran), Shamma Sabir (vocals, fiddle) and Cory Curtis on bass. This threesome brings the best of Irish music to Ceili’s, distilling strong vocals, fiddle. bohdran and bass into an entertaining and quintessentially Irish musical experience.

Ceili's Irish Pub & Restaurant
670 Smithe St. @ Granville

Saturday March 14
5:00 PM

Music

BC Regiment Irish Pipe & Drums

The BC Regiment Irish Pipes and Drums is made up of 24 proud volunteer members, and is one of only five serving Irish regimental pipe bands in the world. No Celtic event in the Lower Mainland is complete without these enthusiastic and talented musicians, and their stirring sound is sure to make your toes tap and your heart swell!

Ceili's Irish Pub & Restaurant
670 Smithe St. @ Granville

Saturday March 14
7:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Music

In The Heather

In The Heather brings together three excellent Irish session musicians. Randy Vic is a multi-instrumentalist who has been active in the Irish music scene in the Pacific Northwest for many years, performing for dancers, concerts, teaching, and hosting a long running traditional session. Guitarist Paul Hawtin spent 12 years in Vancouver before relocating to Ontario, and while he was here he was a founding member of local favourites Cleia. Fiddler Stephani Custer began playing violin at the age of five and has performed at the Vancouver and Mission Folk Music Festivals, the Rogue Folk Club, and at dances, pubs, and coffeehouses from Boston to Hornby Island.

UnWine’d on Howe
1180 Howe St.

Saturday March 14
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Music

Paul O’Brien

Paul O'Brien is a musical storyteller with a background in reggae, Irish folk and classical music. He has been playing Celtic music professionally for over 25 years in the UK and Canada, and has recorded over 20 albums. Paul plays and teaches bodhran and Celtic style guitar, both finger-style and pick, accompaniment and melody. His songs have been described as having within them ‘the heart of the West Coast’, and he continues to break new ground with his latest album, 'Plastic'.

Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug
1033 Granville St.

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DATE / TIME EVENT VENUE TICKET INFO.
SUNDAY MARCH 15

Sunday March 15
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
*Ballyhooley performs from 9:45 – 10:30 AM

Food & Beverage Music

Pre-Parade Breakfast – featuring Ballyhooley*

Ceili’s Irish Pub is the home of the Official CelticFest Parade Breakfast. A hearty Irish breakfast buffet will be served along with your favorite libations from 9 to 11:30 on the morning of the Parade. Space is filling quickly – reserve your spot now. For reservations, contact hayley@ceilis.com or call (604) 697-0990 ext. 21.

Note: Ceili’s is a pub and minors are not permitted in this venue.

Ceili's Irish Pub & Restaurant
670 Smithe St. @ Granville

Reservations

Sunday March 15
10:00 AM –10:35 AM

Festival Pick Music Kids / Family

Pre-Parade Show – Featuring Copper Sky

Copper Sky has been pleasing audiences all around the Lower Mainland with their lively style of music ever since 2002. Paul Evenden first discovered Irish music in the late ‘70’s. He starting out playing guitar, then added the whistle and bodhran to an increasing variety of instruments. Fiddle player Jennie Bice’s various recordings and concerts span many genres along with Celtic styles, including Cuban, Latin, jazz, rockabilly, classical, country, and Cajun. They’ll be in the good company of singer, guitarist, mandolin and bohdran-player Ernie Higgins.

Presented by IMPARK

Music Stage - Celtic Village
Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza
Howe & Georgia Street

Free Event

Sunday March 15
11:30 AM

Festival Pick Kids / Family Music Dance

Shamrock6th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade

Where can you find hundreds of thousands of people, all seized with Celtic fever? At the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, of course! This year the parade travels a new route along Georgia Street, beginning at Broughton St., ending up at the Celtic Village outside the Vancouver Art Gallery at Georgia and Howe. Round up your family and friends (and favourite green attire) and enjoy the spectacle of over 2,000 colourfully costumed participants, from pipers and drummers to acrobats and stilt-walkers. The price is still right – absolutely free!

Presented by Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association

Along Georgia St.- from Broughton to Howe St.

Free Event

Sunday March 15
12:00 Noon

Music

Murphy’s Lágh

Murphy’s Lágh, with leader and Northern Ireland native Damian Brennan (vocals, guitar, tin whistle, bodhran), Shamma Sabir (vocals, fiddle), Mike "Magno" Magnusson (drums) and Cory Curtis (bass guitar). Together these four are a high-energy band that delivers Celtic and Irish pub favourites along with laugh-out-loud onstage routines.

Doolin's Irish Pub
654 Nelson St. @ Granville

Sunday March 15
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Festival Pick Music Kids / Family

West Coast Fiddlers

Check out the next generation of great Celtic fiddlers! The West Coast Fiddlers were founded by Sarah and Roxanna Sabir, and have been together since they performed five years ago at the Orpheum Theatre with the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra of Edinburgh. The WCF is made up entirely of school-age children and it has grown into a skilled and energetic group that delivers toe-tapping sets of everything from Celtic music to swing.

Presented by IMPARK

Music Stage - Celtic Village
Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza
Howe & Georgia Street

Free Event

Sunday March 15
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Festival Pick Workshop Kids / Family Music

The Great Big Session
Session Leader: Paul O’Brien

It’s a party, a Ceili and a jam session all in one! The Seisiún (session) flows from the heart of Celtic tradition, as acoustic guitarists, fiddlers, penny whistlers, singers and bodhran players gather together to create the music they love. Sessions are informal, spontaneous events where musicians typically sit around a table as if they’re at a friendly card game, bringing classic instruments and vocals to the tuneful and interactive gathering.

All players, singers, dancers and lovers of great Celtic music are welcome to join in to this year’s Great Big Session, led by respected guitar, bouzouki and bodhran player Paul O’Brien. Whether you decide to make music yourself or simply soak up the unique sounds and atmosphere, you’ll be part of a magical musical gathering!

Co-presented with Tom Lee Music

Tom Lee Music - Music Hall
3rd floor - 929 Granville St.

$5.00 at the door

Sunday March 15
1:15 PM & 5:00 PM

Music

BC Regiment Irish Pipes & Drums

The BC Regiment Irish Pipes and Drums is made up of 24 proud volunteer members, and is one of only five serving Irish regimental pipe bands in the world. No Celtic event in the Lower Mainland is complete without these enthusiastic and talented musicians, and their stirring sound is sure to make your toes tap and your heart swell!

Ceili's Irish Pub & Restaurant
670 Smithe St. @ Granville

Sunday March 15
1:45 PM - 2:30 PM

Music

Ballyhooley

In Irish Gaelic, ballyhooley means “party town”, and this aptly named band is always keen to celebrate Irish musical traditions, party-style. Playing nine different instruments among them, the band members delight in creating complex arrangements that illustrate the many moods of Irish music. Ballyhooley includes Vanessa Kay (fiddle, mandolin and vocals), Tim Fanning (uilleann pipes, flute, whistles and vocals) and Glenn Buholzer (guitar, mandolins and vocals).

Ceili's Irish Pub & Restaurant
670 Smithe St. @ Granville

Sunday March 15
2:45 PM

Music

North Shore Celtic Ensemble

The North Shore Celtic Ensemble is a culturally diverse group of gifted young North Shore musicians, performing Celtic-based orchestral and folk music on string, wind and percussion instruments. Ensemble Director Claude Giguère has 20 years of experience as a professional violinist and teacher, and the group’s Artistic Director is Jay Knutson, a founding member of Spirit of the West with 25 years of experience in performance and musical workshops. Come and experience this ensemble’s youthful energy and original arrangements!

Ceili's Irish Pub & Restaurant
670 Smithe St. @ Granville

Sunday March 15
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Festival Pick Music

Mad Tradition

Mad Tradition is Roxanna Sabir, a member of the acclaimed fiddling, singing and step-dancing Sabir Sisters, and guitarist Craig McGregor, who’s also toured with the Sabir Sisters as well as Great Northern and Tiller's Folly. Together they create original arrangements of traditional fiddle music with influences from the Celtic, Old Time and Canadian folk repertoires, smoothly switching up from traditional slow and graceful airs to fiery, fast-paced jigs and reels.

Presented by IMPARK

Music Stage - Celtic Village
Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza Howe & Georgia Street

Free Event

Sunday March 15
3:00 PM

Music

Mark Downey

Vancouver favourite Mark Downey is a native of County Meath, Ireland. His solo show showcases his vocal, guitar and bodhran talents as he travels through the diverse landscape of Irish songs, from popular to little-known, ancient to modern, framed in his engaging banter and storytelling.

Doolin's Irish Pub
654 Nelson St. @ Granville

Sunday March 15
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Music

Michael Viens & Rosie Carver

Michael Viens is a singer who’s played bodhran and 6 and 12-string guitars with Vancouver’s Celtic stalwart Blackthorn for many years. His repertoire of Celtic songs is vast, from tender ballads to rousing singalongs. Rosie Carver is a classically trained violinist and teacher who was lured into playing Celtic music through her association with Blackthorn. Her background is Hungarian but when she takes up her fiddle she can outshine the Irish!

Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug
1033 Granville St.

Sunday March 15
2:00 PM

Music

In The Heather

In The Heather brings together three excellent Irish session musicians. Randy Vic is a multi-instrumentalist who has been active in the Irish music scene in the Pacific Northwest for many years, performing for dancers, concerts, teaching, and hosting a long running traditional session. Guitarist Paul Hawtin spent 12 years in Vancouver before relocating to Ontario, and while he was here he was a founding member of local favourites Cleia. Fiddler Stephani Custer began playing violin at the age of five and has performed at the Vancouver and Mission Folk Music Festivals, the Rogue Folk Club, and at dances, pubs, and coffeehouses from Boston to Hornby Island.

Morrissey Irish House
1227 Granville St.

Sunday March 15
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Festival Pick Music

The Alys & Seumas Show

This is another unusual collaboration in the CelticFest tradition. Canadian harper Alys Howe and American harper Seumas Gagne will present a collaborative performance of traditional Scottish Gaelic music. Both accomplished harpers with a deep love of traditional Celtic music, Alys and Seumas will perform lively Scottish and Irish dance tunes played on the clarsach (traditional Celtic harp) as well as Scottish Gaelic love songs, work songs, and vocal dance music (puirt-a-beul).

Music Stage - Celtic Village
Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza Howe & Georgia Street

Free Event

Sunday March 15
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Music

Tiller's Folly

For over a decade the musicians of Tiller’s Folly have been captivating audiences with their music, stories and energized live shows. They excel both as storytellers and musicians, covering a broad palette of the finest acoustic music partnered with colourful stories of BC history. Their 2008 release “Stirring Up Ghosts" is a landmark project to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the province. Enjoy a selection of treats from that album plus classic Folly favourites!

Ceili's Irish Pub & Restaurant
670 Smithe St. @ Granville

Sunday March 15
6:00 PM

Music

Copper Sky

Talented all-rounders on the Vancouver music scene, multi-instrumentalist and singer Paul Evenden, Jennie Bice (vocals, fiddle) and Ernie Higgins (vocals, guitar, mandolin, bohdran) decided to pool their talents in 2002 and create a dynamic new trio. Ever since, Copper Sky has been pleasing audiences all around the Lower Mainland with their lively Maritime and Celtic-style music and more recently with their CD, ‘One for the Morning Glory’.

Doolin's Irish Pub
654 Nelson St.@ Granville

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Festival Venues

Outdoor Venues
CelticFest

Celtic Village
Performance Stage

Vancouver Art Gallery Cnr. Georgia & Howe Street

Granville Square  - on the Plaza

Granville Square Plaza – Performance Stage
200 Granville St. @ Cordova

Official Festival Venues
Edgewater Casino

Stadium Club at Edgewater Casino
750 Pacific Blvd South
(at Plaza of Nations)

Doolin’s Irish Pub

Doolin’s Irish Pub
654 Nelson St.@ Granville St.

Ceili’s Irish Pub & Restaurant

Ceili’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
670 Smithe St. @ Granville
Home of the Official CelticFest Pre-Parade Breakfast

The Irish Cellar

The (Irish) Cellar
1006 Granville St. @ Nelson St.

Tom Lee Music

Tom Lee Music
City Stage
Lobby Level - 929 Granville St.

Morrissey Irish House

Morrissey Irish House
1227 Granville St.

Tom Lee Music

Tom Lee Music
Music Hall
3rd floor - 929 Granville St.

Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug

Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug
1033 Granville St.

Doolin’s Irish Pub

The Vogue Theatre
918 Granville St.

UnWine'd on Howe

UnWine'd on Howe
Wine & Tapas Lounge
1180 Howe St. @ Davie St.

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