By Jessica Schultz
Can you hear the bagpipes in the distance? You will on August 26th and 27th at the Mayville Lakeside Park (located at 78 Water Street, Route 394 in Mayville, NY) when the 15th Annual Jamestown Regional Celtic Festival & Gathering of the Clans begins. The festival is a great opportunity for the community to come out and hear bands from three states and two countries play as they entertain and educate on Scottish and Irish culture. The Villager had the great opportunity to speak with President/Business Manager Doug Clark about this year’s festival.
The Villager (V): The Celtic Festival & Gathering of the Clans is a large endeavor; how did you get it started?
Doug Clark (D): “The Jamestown Regional Celtic Festival was stated in 2005 by William MacLaughlin (former J.P.D. Chief of Police) and me after the 96th Highlanders Pipes & Drums preformed at the Scottish Festival in Amherst NY. We felt there was enough Scottish and Irish Heritage here in Chautauqua County and Western NY it might just be a good fit. We held the first festival at the Jamestown Community College. We moved it to Mayville after the college campus was too small to handle the growing size of the crowd plus participants returning every year. At the first festival we had about 600 to 900 spectators, in 2019 we had over 5,000 spectators and participants.”
V: This is the 15th annual event, is there anything new for 2022?
D: “This is the first festival post covid. We had to cancel 2020 and 2021 because the state mandates for the covid pandemic were too much for us to overcome. So, this year we have a much larger venue than 2019. We are having difficulty getting vendors from previous years to return because many had to shut down and went out of business because of the pandemic. We will feature 6 bagpipe bands from Canada, Ohio, and New York State, who will be playing 1/2-hour concerts individually and as a group called massed band at opening and closing ceremonies; a sight which is breathtaking. We also have 7 Celtic bands playing in two separate music tents, 2 of which are nationally and internationally known. Tuatha Dea from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, will be our opening act starting on Friday evening and our closing act on Saturday, both shows start at 6pm on their respective days and the band will also perform during the day on Saturday. Also on Saturday The Mudmen, from Ontario, Canada will be playing in the Beer Garden. A fiddle session will be held in the afternoon on Saturday along with more music in the Music Tent along Vendor Row. Musical entertainment includes Celtic Creek, Waterhorse, Tuatha Dea, Step In Time, Emerald Isle, along with the Scottish Dancers form Canada and the Irish Dancers from Dunkirk, Ny. There will be food vendors, Celtic vendors and craft vendors for spectators to buy great items and really good food. A day many will not forget in a very long time.”
V: How much is the cost of admission?
D: “Cost of Admission: Adults: $15 donation, Seniors: $10 donation and Children 13 and under are free.”
V: There is a lot of great traditional performers and live music, could you share the Saturday headliners and what they do?
D: “As mentioned, Tuatha Dea, along with Mudmen are both well known acts nationally and internationally. Niagara Regional Police Pipe Band, 87th Cleveland Pipe Band, Feaden Or Pipe Band are coming to perform this year; they have had a very successful competition season this year. We will be hosting the New York State Championships for the Open Class, Masters in both Women’s and Men’s classes. We will have about 50 Scottish Heavy Athletes here competing.”
V: Is this a family friendly event? What is there for the younger members of the family to do?
D: “We are featuring a kid’s area with a Celtic Harpist who will teach children how to play the hark along with a story telling tree guy. Frank dresses up as a living tree and tells stories. We also have different events for the children to take part in.”
V: There will be craft and food vendors, what types of things will they be offering?
D: “Everything from homemade craft items to every high-quality Celtic Jewelry, we will even have a vendor selling everything from kilts to what’s need to dress in highland gear both formal and informal items.”
V: Anything else you would like to share?
D: “The 96th Highlanders Pipe & Drums and the festival committee take great pride in providing the sectators and participants with a very will planed out festival to accommodate everyone needs. We however due to our insurance regulations and Park Rules Spectators cannot bring in pets of any kind. Our insurance will not cover and incidents with regards to pets. We invite everyone to come and experience the Scottish, Irish and Celtic Culture with us on August 26 and Aug 27, 2022, at the Mayville Lakeside Park, Rt 394 58 Lake Street, Mayville, NY Friday evening starts at 6PM and Saturday goes from 9AM to 9PM”
Thank you Doug, for taking the time to share all these great details about the festival and a huge thank you to the whole 96th Highlanders Pipe & Drums team and all the performers and vendors participating this year, for bringing a little bit of the Highland to share with our communities.