KVMR Celtic Festival - PRESS MATERIAL

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Click HERE for downloadable press material.
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What: 12th Annual KVMR Celtic Festival
Who: Produced by KVMR Community Radio, broadcasting at 89.5FM, 105.1FM and kvmr.org
When: Sept. 27 & 28, 2008 Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Nevada County Fairgrounds, 11228 McCourtney Rd., Grass Valley, California 95949
Why: Celebrate culture and community; fundraising event for non-profit, non-commercial radio

Main Stage performers:
Solas
Cathie Ryan Band
Enter the Haggis
James Keelaghan
Vishten
Molly’s Revenge with Moira Smiley

Regional musicians:
Beltaine's Fire
Celtic Kids
Euphonics
Gertrude O'Malley
Ha'Penny Bridge
Kelly Fleming & Peter Grant
Kid Fiddle
Nine 8ths Irish
Shawn and Tarney Haussler
Stone House Kitchen Sessions
The Wicker Men
Three Shades of Green
White Hackle Pipe & Drum

Tickets
Adults: one day - $30 in advance, $35 at the gate; two days - $50 in advance, $55 at the gate.
Youth (6-16): one day - $15 in advance, $17 at the gate; two days - $17 in advance, $20 at the gate.
Children under six are free.
Discounts for KVMR members. On-site camping is available for an additional fee. Parking is free.
Order and print tickets online at www.kvrm.org. Phone 530 265-9073 weekdays for tickets and information.
Bring a low-back chair, sweater and flashlight for the parking lot.

Completely Accessible
KVMR’s Celtic Festival is accessible to anyone using assistive devices such as wheelchairs, canes and walkers. Licensed assistive dogs are permitted.

Camping
Camping at the Fairgrounds is available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights for tents, trailers and RVs. Camping is sold per person, along with festival tickets. Check the website for rates.

Sponsors
Presented in cooperation with Big O Tires with additional support from Guinness, The Union, Nevada City Winery, B&C True Value Hardware, Wolf Creek Commons, Wolf Creek Lodge and CoolerZone.

Download Press Material
Press Release PDF - CLICK HERE
High Resolution Photos - CLICK HERE

12th Annual KVMR Celtic Festival

The Nevada County Fairgrounds take on unique glow in late September as the change of season calls neighbors to gather and share the magical place that is the Mother Lode of the Sierras. More than a music festival, the KVMR Celtic Festival and Marketplace brings together world-class main-stage entertainment, historic re-enactment, athletic demonstrations, animal exhibits, the festival marketplace, great food & drink and – yes - gnomes and fairies. The celebration takes place on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 27 & 28 among the giant pines and greens at the 100-acre fairgrounds.

This years’ headliners include Celtic super-group Solas, Irish/American singer/songwriter Cathie Ryan, Canadian Celtic-rockers Enter the Haggis, Acadian party-band Vishten, singer/songwriter James Keelaghan and festival favorites Molly’s Revenge with Moira Smiley. Joining in will be hundreds of regional performers include Irish & Scottish step dancers, Celtic hip-hop with Beltaine’s Fire, Kid Fiddle and much more. Sacramento’s White Hackle Pipe Band leads the opening parade and plays throughout the weekend. Singers, bagpipers, actors, jugglers and storytellers perform on eight stages and two performance greens.

In addition to continuous entertainment, the festival marketplace features over 70 vendors selling treasures from around the world. Delicious meals and treats abound for every taste and one of Ireland’s great neighborhood gathering places, O’Dea’s Pub, has been transported to the fairgrounds offering the finest libations and spirits.

History buffs can explore several encampments of “Guilds” who re-create brief points and places in time. Royal Saint Gyles Actors Guild is a living history reenactment group that creates the Court of Mary, Queen of Scots, in the years from 1561-1566. Glenfinnen teaches plainfolk skills used in Scotland in 1746 to build homes, tools, weapons and grow food. Other groups demonstrate how peasants and gentry lived in Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

New this year will be Celtic animal demonstrations by the Celtic Lurcher Dogs (specially trained to pick pockets!); Mountain & Moorland Ponies from the England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland; and Irish Wolfhounds – “Great Celtic Hounds of Antiquity”.

Harvest Home Revelers forms a procession that wanders through the Celtic Village, playing drums, fiddles, bouzouki, guitars and harp, stopping to perform skits. Amateurs are invited to test their strength against Scottish athletes in throwing stones and tug-of-war. Children are kept engaged with Celtic arts and crafts, story telling, Kiddy Cabers and romping on the straw bale jungle gym. Seniors are admitted an hour before the event opens on Sunday and treated to scones and tea in the hospitality tent. The festival is completely accessible by those using wheelchairs and walkers. An area near the main stage is reserved for disabled guests.

Grass Valley is an hour’s drive northeast of Sacramento. Weekend visitors can attend both days of the event or spend one day visiting wineries, a revitalized downtown Grass Valley, covered bridge at Bridgeport and the famous Empire Mine. Camping is available at the fairgrounds.

HEADLINE ENTERTAINERS

Solas - Stellar Irish Music

"...the standard by which contemporary Celtic groups are judged." - Austin American-Statesman

Solas returns to close the show on Saturday night. They remain one of the most popular, influential, and exciting Celtic band to ever emerge from the United States. With the addition of Irish singer/flautist Mairead Phelan - the band's latest vocal discovery - the balance has been pushed to three fifths Irish. With the other two fifths being Solas' founders Seamus Egan (born in NYC, raised in Ireland) and Winifred Horan (immigrant Irish parents), we'll say that Solas has fully morphed into one of Ireland's greatest bands.

Cathie Ryan Band – Irish American Songstress

"...you will find it impossible not to be moved by Ryan's voice..." - Irish World Magazine

Ryan’s musical career began in 1987 when she joined Cherish the Ladies. After seven years with Cherish, she struck out on her own. Her four subsequent solo albums reveal an artist of impressive depth, an individualistic songwriter and a preeminent interpreter of Irish music. Ryan says, “The wonderful thing about Irish music is that it gets into peoples' souls and psyches who aren't even Irish. I think it's because it's a music that speaks of the human condition. It is so rich thematically and historically. It is a music that is filled with pure emotion. I think the music still carries that life force."

Enter the Haggis – Celtic/World/Rock

"Enter the Haggis does for Celtic world music what Nickel Creek does for bluegrass." - Playback Magazine

In 1996 Toronto piper Craig Downie decided to reacquaint himself with the bagpipes. By the end of the decade the 5-piece Enter the Haggis was amassing fans across Canada. Now, six albums, a PBS special, and miles and miles later, the band performs over 150 dates worldwide each year with an army of “Haggis Heads” following along. Their music crosses borders covering, by one count, as many as 18 different genres. Yet the Celtic influence remains intact.

Vishten - Acadian Party Music

"Wherever Vishten goes, a party is sure to follow." - Plages Magazine

The Acadian quartet Vishten comes to this year’s festival from Canadian Maritimes. Plan to dance. Their stage show creates the joy and energy of the ceilidh or "kitchen party," community gatherings where all are welcome to sing, play and dance. Rhythms and melodies are inseparable and reflect a joy unique to the Acadian culture - flying fingers, tapping feet, and an unabashed sense of celebration. Formed by twin sisters Pastelle and Emmanuelle LeBlanc, Vishten's music is a mixture of the French, Irish and Scottish styles of Eastern Canada, with fiery fiddling and powerful step dancing front and center.

James Keelaghan – Story-songs with Irish Roots

"Canada's finest singer/songwriter..." - Playboy Magazine

On James Keelaghan's latest CD he partners with English folk icon Jez Lowe on a new song they co-wrote about their shared Irish roots. The album includes contributions from the Irish group Danu and features traditional and original songs. Add to that the fact that he recently received his Irish passport and the Celtic roots come clear. Keelaghan credits his father, who emigrated from Ireland to Canada in 1952, with his gift for storytelling. Following in the rather large footsteps of fellow Canadian songwriter/storytellers Stan Rogers and Gordon Lightfoot, Keelaghan is a master of the epic historical ballad – story songs that are steeped in history with a vivid sense of time and place. Joining Keelaghan for this show will be British Colombia fiddler Jamie RT.

Molly’s Revenge with Moira Smiley

"The instruments are traditional... but the wild passion they exhibit is thoroughly modern." - MetroSantaCruz

"The instruments are traditional ... but the wild passion they exhibit is thoroughly modern." - MetroSantaCruz
Molly’s Revenge has teamed up with award-winning vocalist Moira Smiley for their seventh CD and will celebrate its release with a main stage appearance at the 2008 Celtic Festival. The combination of bagpipes, whistle, fiddle, guitar, bouzouki, and mandola is complimented by Smiley’s distinctive vocals and accordion making for a tour-de-force of Scottish and Irish music. Known for her groundbreaking work with contemporary vocal group VOCO, Moira Smiley has proven her traditional skills by winning first place in the Midwest/West USA Division of the All-Ireland Singing Championship.

GROUNDS ENTERTAINMENT

Come for the Music. The 12th Annual KVMR Celtic Festival and Marketplace features live entertainment on eight stages, parades, jam sessions, workshops, historical reenactments, Scottish games, animal exhibits, children’s activities, theatrical performances, archery, sword fighting, shopping, dining, and – we can’t forget - the Coronation of Mary Queen of Scots. Stay for the Magic.

Jams, Workshops & Sid Lewis’ Jammin’ 101
Bring your instruments and join in! Never been in a jam session? Not to worry! Sid Lewis’ Jammin’ 101 will lead you through the process step-by-step. You’ll also be able to pick up tips from the masters as each of the Festival headliners will be giving intimate workshops. Then join in the jam on the deck at O’Dea’s Pub.

Faery Wood
Step back in time to a place where Celtic mythology comes to life. The Druid Stage within the Faery Wood will host Pagan Theater by a variety of fairies, pixies and Druids. Featured in the Wood are the Woman of Sidh, Morrigan, Bridgett, and the League of Robin Goodfellow sharing their songs and stories with earth-bound revelers.

Weaponry Demonstrations
Watch traditional fencing, sword fighting and archery on the Demonstration Green. Clan Galbraith and The Diamond Rose Academie d'Armes portray 15th/16th Century Scottish Highland Mercenaries with weapons demonstrations and exhibitions including sword fighting, falconers, archery, chain maille, staffs & bows.

Animal Area
New this year! Animals of the Celtic Lands will include The UK National Pony Society’s Mountain & Moorland ponies, an exhibition by the Northern California Irish Wolfhound Club and MORE.

Authentic Village Marketplace
Over seventy merchants bring handmade goods and wares to the Festival Marketplace. Feast on delicious snacks and meals. Treat yourself to a massage, henna painting, hair braiding, fabulous Celtic clothes, and jewelry or just stroll and browse.

Pageantry & Storytelling
Bands of actors, musicians, jugglers and storytellers wander the festival, stopping to perform an ancient skit, ballad, and rousting gig or tell a tall tale. These talented performers will also make scheduled appearances on various stages.

Children’s Area
Parents are invited to stop by the Children’s Area with their kids and help them with their Celtic crafts. Children can explore the straw bale jungle gym, marvel a Claude the fire-breathing dragon or seek royal favors from the Queen.

Welcome Tent
Stop by the Welcome Tent, hosted by KVMR and The Union. Find festival schedules, maps and information about our area. Fill up your water bottles with cool, filtered water courtesy of CoolerZone – it’s better (and greener) than bottled water.

Senior Breakfast
Those aged 62 or better are invited to come an hour early on Sunday at 9:00 am to be treated to a free breakfast of tea and scones. Seniors can also place their chairs on the main meadow during this hour, before the main gates open.

O’Dea’s Pub
Mix and mingle with friends at one of Ireland’s most renowned watering holes – O’Dea’s Pub is transported by Celtic Magic to the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Enjoy a Guinness, Harp, Smithfields, Nevada City Wines, Irish Coffee or a wee dram while listening to the on-going jam session deck.

Completely Accessible
KVMR’s Celtic Festival is accessible to anyone using assistive devices such as wheelchairs, canes and walkers. Licensed assistive dogs are permitted.

Tickets
Adults: one day - $30 in advance, $35 at the gate; two days - $50 in advance, $55 at the gate.
Youth (6-16): one day - $15 in advance, $17 at the gate; two days - $17 in advance, $20 at the gate.
Children under six are free.
Discounts for KVMR members. On-site camping is available for an additional fee. Parking is free.
Order and print tickets online at www.kvrm.org. Phone 530 265-9073 weekdays for tickets and information.
Bring a low-back chair, sweater and flashlight for the parking lot.

Camping
Camping at the Fairgrounds is available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights for tents, trailers and RVs. Camping is sold per person, along with festival tickets. Check the website for rates.

Sponsors
Presented in cooperation with Big O Tires with additional support from Guinness, The Union, Nevada City Winery, B&C True Value Hardware and The Cooler Zone.