BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Growing up outside of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Neville Gardner said most Celtic people are used to the rain.
However, things are a bit different in Bethlehem, and the Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival took a significant hit in attendance last year as a storm rolled through and washed out most of the weekend.
Gardner, one of the founders of Celtic Classic, said the festival is an important celebration of Celtic culture. Being the largest free Celtic festival in North America, it draws participants from across Pennsylvania and even across the country.
Celtic Classic returns in full force this weekend — running from Friday, Sept. 27, through Sunday, Sept. 29 — and brings hammer throwing, bagpipes, clans, shortbread, kilts, and more to the streets of historic Bethlehem.
This will be the 37th time the Celtic Cultural Alliance has hosted the event.
Celebrating Celtic culture
The weekend opens with a haggis-eating competition at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Highland Field. Participants will race to finish a one-pound haggis — a minced meat pudding boiled in a sheep’s stomach and the national dish of Scotland.
The next two days, that same field will become the battleground of the Highland Games in which participants compete against each other in feats of strength such as the sheaf toss, the caber toss, and the 22-pound hammer throw.
Sixteen different groups will be perform throughout the weekend, providing a range of free entertainment from Celtic music to dance to comedy.
Over 50 Celtic food and retail vendors will sell their products across all three days.
Usual events that were canceled last year because of rain will be returning this weekend. The Celtic Cultural Alliance said this year's Tartan Parade — it was called off last year — will be “one of the largest ever.”
A return to tradition
This weekend is an exciting return for those who had worried about the fate of decades-long tradition.
“Just the fact that it’s happened again I’m very excited about because they took such a hit last year," Gardner said.
"So much of the revenue for the festival comes from the festival, so in other words, they kinda live year to year. So the future of the festival really depends on the attendance.”
“The economic impact of Celtic Classic on the Lehigh Valley is huge."
Neville Gardner, owner of Donegal Square and McCarthy's Red Stag Pub
This year’s Celtic Classic was boosted by a $75,000 state grant awarded to the Celtic Cultural Alliance in March.
Gardner, who owns both Donegal Square and McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar in North Bethlehem, said Celtic Classic usually helps beef up the local economy and Bethlehem businesses.
However, he said, last year his businesses along with the tent he had at Celtic Classic experienced around half of the sales as normal because of the lack of attendance.
“The economic impact of Celtic Classic on the Lehigh Valley is huge. If there’s bad weather, the reduction in economic impact is huge,” he said.
"I think it’s fantastic to see those funds… I’m excited about the fact that (the state) sees it important enough to forward that grant.”