Celtic Fest
Celebrating Celtic Heritage: The Birth of Celtic Fest
Neville, Founder
Shortly after opening Donegal Square, Neville was approached by a local businessman with the concept of creating a Celtic Festival in Bethlehem, which would become Celtic Fest. As someone deeply proud of his heritage, Neville had always been passionate about sharing his knowledge with the community. The opportunity to educate people about Celtic culture and Northern Ireland immediately captured his interest.
For years, Neville had been frustrated by the negative connotations and misinformation about Northern Ireland. He hoped this type of cultural celebration would help bridge divides, showing that we should celebrate each other's cultures rather than fight over them. Neville believed a festival like this could "pay it forward" and contribute to a better society—a cultural event celebrating all Celtic traditions with the hope that its message would travel back home and help improve the situation in Northern Ireland.
Since its inception in 1987, Donegal Square has proudly supported, promoted, developed, and marketed Celtic Classic and the Celtic Cultural Alliance.
The Vision
The Celtic Cultural Alliance was founded with a clear mission: to promote and preserve Celtic culture. Its flagship event, the Celtic Classic Highland Games and Festival, takes place each September in Bethlehem. The festival, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2017, offers a three-day celebration of all things Celtic—music, dancing, crafts, food, and Highland games providing authentic experiences through a variety of activities and performances.
Beyond the annual Celtic Classic, the Alliance offers year-round educational programming in art, music, language, and much more. Each year, the CCA awards scholarships to young students studying Celtic music and dance, ensuring that younger generations continue to embrace and carry forward Celtic traditional arts.
For more information and to explore upcoming events, visit www.celticfest.org.
