The second annual Yosemite Celtic Festival is coming to Oakhurst next week.
“Besides just gathering and giving people an opportunity to come together, it is a great time to celebrate our heritage as a people, but also of this area,” said Kimberly Vaughan, the producer of the event.
The festival will be held on Oct. 17-18 at the Oakhurst Community Center. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Admission is $25 for adults, $15 for youth under 12 and it’s free for children four and under. There’s also a $4 discount for subscribers to the Mariposa Gazette. Other discounts available include those for veterans and senior citizens.
“This is a gathering of the community,” she said. “It feels good to go to an event and have some ‘me time.’ And listen to music and have great food and just have fun.”
Even before the festival starts, there will be a kickoff event at South Gate Brewing with Celtic Alchemy on Friday night.
The festival will bring music, heritage, athletics, history, food, storytelling and family experiences together for “an immersive weekend in Yosemite’s southern gateway,” said Vaughan.
“The goal is for people to experience Celtic culture rather than simply observe it,” said Vaughan.
Here’s a list of the headlining entertainment:
• Young Dubliners
• Golden Bough
• Celtic Alchemy
• Gaelic Muses with Michael Mullen (this group will also be entertaining Saturday night after the festival at South Gate Brewing)
Various other groups and individuals will also be performing throughout the festival.
Let the games begin
One of the highlights of the festival is the Highland Games, which is traditional Highland athletic competition featuring strength and the spectacle of Scottish Heavy Athletics.
Events include caber toss, Braemar stone, open stone, heavyweight and lightweight for distance, heavy and light hammer, sheaf toss and weight over bar.
In addition, youngsters will have opportunities to experience their own version of the competition through activities, including the Ca-Bear Toss. (Oakhurst is known as the Carved Bear Capitol of the World.)
On Sunday, there will be competition for novice athletes which will allow an entry point for people who are interested in trying the various competitions.
More than a festival
For Vaughan, the weekend is about more than a festival; it’s about unplugging from technology and going back in time.
“We’re too serious,” she said. “We need to rewrite what we are going.”
Part of that, she said, is the fact so many people live in these small, mountain communities and sometimes that gets lost.
“For living in a small community, where we are so proud, we need to gather as neighbors and see our neighbors,” she said. “This is a time when we can appreciate the community we live in. This beautiful area we are blessed to have.”
There will be plenty of food and drink available during the festival, she said, including a separate area where beer, wine, ale, cider and whiskey will be available.
The second year
The festival was launched last year and around 2,400 people attended, said Vaughan.
“People were walking around and saying it didn’t feel like a first year event,” said Vaughan. “That’s the highest compliment a promoter can receive.”
There will be on-site parking available for $5 in fields adjacent to the community center. People can also ride the Oakhurst Trolley which will make the festival a regular stop that weekend.
“We are trying to built Celtic Fever here,” said Vaughan. “We have a strong Celtic community here.”
That includes roots back to John Muir, she added.
Vaughan also said “we live in the highlands” of California, thus the “Yosemite Highlands” as the centerpiece of celebrating Celtic heritage.
“You can experience a cultural event tied to the mountains,” she added.
Vaughan said there are many community partners involved in the festival, from local shops and restaurants having featured items to bleachers provided by the Visit Yosemite Madera Tourism group for people to watch the athletic events.
For more information, including to purchase tickets, visit yosemitecelticfestival.com
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