St. Leonard, MD – The Patuxent River replicated the North Sea Saturday, April 25, as pipes and fiddlers, dancers and athletes, clans and fans gathered at Jefferson Patterson Park for the 37th annual Southern Maryland Celtic Festival and Highland Games.
The raw weather conditions did nothing to deter the large crowd’s enjoyment of all there was to experience.
Athletic competitions at the event included rugby, the caber toss, the sheaf toss, the heaving of the heavy hammers, weights for distance and weights for height.
Performance competitions that were held included bagpipe bands, piping and drumming, Scottish fiddling, harp and Highland dancing.
Entertainers who were showcased during the eight-hour festival included The Gothard Sisters, La Unica, Fire Wire, Pyrates Royale, David Norris, Pond Scum, the Teelin Irish Dance Company, Hanneke Cassel, Old Dominion Dancers, Time Shifters, Baltimore Scottish Country Dancers, Maggie Sansone and the Wild Irish Roses.
Attendees could also participate in an array of activities, including workshops in dancing, harp playing and the rosette-making. There were also children’s activities such as the Junior Highland Games. Storytellers and costumed performers gave visitors Celtic history lessons.
The event is a presentation of the Celtic Society of Southern Maryland (CSSM) and occurs through the efforts of several committees and subcommittees, who organize everything from the various competitions and judging, vendors, crafts and demonstrations, logistics, hospitality and publicity.
“It is the dedication of the CSSM members and volunteers that make the festival great,” stated CSSM President Carla Jackson.
For more information on CSSM, visit their web site at www.cssm.org.
A video from the festival can be seen below.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
