Dog show, youth Highland Games, eclectic music on Celtic Festival menu
Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
editor@qctonline.com
There will be something for everyone at the 20th Quebec Celtic Festival, held at the Domaine Maizerets from Sept. 5-7. The festival isn’t just for lovers of traditional music and genealogy anymore – aspiring athletes, slam poetry fans and even dog owners will have something to look forward to.
Celtic Festival programming director Françoise Landry has been with the festival since the beginning, or close to it – “back when everything ran on love and elbow grease on the Chaussée des Écossais.” Since then, after a few site changes over the years, the festival has become well established at the Domaine Maizerets. The now- traditional men’s and women’s Highland Games competitions, beer tent and main stage performances, Celtic market with food trucks, Viking encampment and enchanted island will be back to delight fans of all ages, she explained. History buffs will enjoy the clan genealogy tent and thematic talks at the chapel, and the bagpipes of the 78th Fraser Highlanders and Montreal Pipes and Drums will echo throughout the site.
The festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary on the evening of Sept. 5 with an eclectic free concert featuring Québécois traditional music legend Yves Lambert (cofounder of La Bottine Souriante) and a seven-piece backing band, Rudy Caya of Quebec punk-rock group Vilain Pingouin, singer-songwriter Mara Tremblay, Innu reggae-rocker Shauit, local slam poet KJT and world music veteran Élage Diouf, among others. Before the show, a 5-à-7 in the park featuring food trucks and local musicians will kick off the festivities. Lambert will be making his third visit to the festival in the past four years. “Why Yves Lambert? He has had a huge influence on traditional music, and Québécois traditional music includes a lot of Celtic sounds,” said Landry.
Over the weekend, folk rock- ers Bardes à Barbe and Québécois trad music trio Écorce will perform in the beer tent; the main outdoor stage will feature Rêve de Shevrikay, a Portneuf- based duo reviving the music played by Irish immigrants who settled in Portneuf in the early 1800s; festive trad quartet Miss Viking’s; eclectic local Irish music group Steamship Alice; and classical music-influenced trio Errances Celtiques, among others. The Shannon Irish Dancers and the Marie-Claude Rousseau School of Irish Dance will get people dancing with a mini-ceilidh, and members of the Ukélélé Club de Québec will perform at the chapel. On Saturday evening, storytellers Francis Desilets (Montreal), Dominique Deslongchamps (Lévis) and Éric Michaud (Montreal) invite festival- goers 18 and older to a Soirée grivoise – off-colour music and comedy night and barbecue.
Local Celtic punk rockers Banjax Brigade will have the honour of closing the festivities on Sunday afternoon.
Festival-goers will be able to watch professional athletes compete in the elite men’s and women’s divisions of the Highland Games, with live commentary by bilingual athlete and analyst Jason Baines. Adult amateur athletes will also be able to take part in a Highland Games initiation clinic and friendly competition; new this year, aspiring athletes ages 12-16 will be able to take part in a clinic and mini-competition of their own and be mentored by the pros. Landry said the goal of both amateur clinics is to get more athletes interested in the pro circuit, and several amateur clinic participants have gone on to elite competition in the past; your or your child’s new favourite sport could be just a stone’s throw away!
One brand new event this year is the Kilts & Croquettes Celtic-themed dog show, where dog owners and their furry, costumed friends will parade in front of a panel of judges and vie for the titles of “strongest,” “best personality,” “dog/owner lookalikes,” “most elegant,” “best leprechaun” and “as Celtic as they come!” All participating dogs will get a medal and biscuits.
Admission to the Celtic Festival is free and open to all. Advance registration and payment are required for the Kilt & Croquettes dog show ($20), the amateur Highland Games clinics ($25 for teens, $40 for adults who bring their own kilt, $60 for adults with kilt rental) and the Soirée grivoise ($50, en français, 18+, not for the easily scandalized). The cost of a Soirée grivoise ticket includes a barbecue meal and one drink. For a detailed schedule of events and to book your tickets, visit festival-celtique.com/programmation.