Festical Venues, Schedule & Tickets
Music Events
NEXT Festival will be in March, 2011!
See the 2009 Festival Schedule below
Download the 2009 Festival Program GuideClick icons below to sort schedule by genre, or click here to view the entire schedule
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Festival Pick | ||||||
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Music |  |
Dance |  |
Spoken Word |  |
Food & Beverage |
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Music Workshop |  |
Scotch Tastings |  |
Kids Family |
| DATE / TIME | EVENT | VENUE | TICKET INFO. |
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| WEDNESDAY MARCH 11 | |||
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Wednesday March 11
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Lunch Time Concert with The SplintersLongtime 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 |
Free Event |
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Wednesday March 11
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Opening Night Gala Concert Featuring
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Stadium Club @ Edgewater Casino |
Advance $25
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Wednesday March 11
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Mark DowneyVancouver 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 |
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Wednesday March 11
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Sionnaine Irish Dance Academy & Murphy’s LághThis 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 |
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Back to the Top| DATE / TIME | EVENT | VENUE | TICKET INFO. |
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| THURSDAY MARCH 12 | |||
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Thursday March 12 |
Halifax Wharf RatsThe 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 |
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Thursday March 12 |
Clumsy LoversAlways 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 |
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| DATE / TIME | EVENT | VENUE | TICKET INFO. |
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| FRIDAY MARCH 13 | |||
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Friday March 13
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Lunch Time Concert with Mad TraditionMad 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 |
Free Event |
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Friday March 13
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CelticSalsa - Celts & Cubans United!
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Stadium Club @ Edgewater Casino |
Advance $20
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Friday March 13 |
Mark DowneyVancouver 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 |
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Friday March 13 |
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 |
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Friday March 13 |
Mark DowneyVancouver 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 |
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| DATE / TIME | EVENT | VENUE | TICKET INFO. |
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| SATURDAY MARCH 14 | |||
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Saturday March 14 |
BallyhooleyIn 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 |
Free Event |
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Saturday March 14
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Battle of the Bards - A Literary Pub Crawl and Grand FinaleThree 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 Open Mic & Finale Event |
FREE |
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Saturday March 14
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King o' Men - A Robbie Burns Stage Play & 250th Birthday TributeFeaturing 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 |
$12 at the Door |
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Saturday March 14
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North Shore Celtic EnsembleThe 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 |
Free Event |
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Saturday March 14
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PastichePastiche 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 |
Free Event |
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Saturday March 14 |
Pat ChessellPat 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 |
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Saturday March 14
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The WhiskeyDicksWhether 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 |
Free Event |
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Saturday March 14
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BIG St. Pat's Night Out!
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The Vogue Theatre |
Advance $25
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Saturday March 14 |
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 |
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Saturday March 14 |
BC Regiment Irish Pipe & DrumsThe 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 |
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Saturday March 14 |
In The HeatherIn 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 |
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Saturday March 14 |
Paul O’BrienPaul 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 |
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| DATE / TIME | EVENT | VENUE | TICKET INFO. |
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| SUNDAY MARCH 15 | |||
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Sunday March 15
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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 |
Reservations |
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Sunday March 15
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Pre-Parade Show – Featuring Copper SkyCopper 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 |
Free Event |
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Sunday March 15
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Along Georgia St.- from Broughton to Howe St. |
Free Event |
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Sunday March 15 |
Murphy’s LághMurphy’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 |
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Sunday March 15
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West Coast FiddlersCheck 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 |
Free Event |
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Sunday March 15
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The Great Big Session
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Tom Lee Music - Music Hall |
$5.00 at the door |
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Sunday March 15 |
BC Regiment Irish Pipes & DrumsThe 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 |
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Sunday March 15 |
BallyhooleyIn 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 |
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Sunday March 15 |
North Shore Celtic EnsembleThe 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 |
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Sunday March 15
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Mad TraditionMad 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 |
Free Event |
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Sunday March 15 |
Mark DowneyVancouver 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 |
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Sunday March 15 |
Michael Viens & Rosie CarverMichael 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 |
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Sunday March 15 |
In The HeatherIn 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 |
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Sunday March 15
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The Alys & Seumas ShowThis 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 |
Free Event |
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Sunday March 15 |
Tiller's FollyFor 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 |
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Sunday March 15 |
Copper SkyTalented 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 |
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Festival Venues
| Outdoor Venues | |
 Celtic Village |
 Granville Square Plaza – Performance Stage |
| Official Festival Venues | |
 Stadium Club at Edgewater Casino |
 Doolin’s Irish Pub |
 Ceili’s Irish Pub & Restaurant |
The (Irish) Cellar |
 Tom Lee Music |
Morrissey Irish House |
Tom Lee Music |
 Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug |
 The Vogue Theatre |
 UnWine'd on Howe |
