Dayton Celtic Fest 2011

The Dayton Celtic Fest is this weekend. This is a very nice event especially when you consider this is a FREE event. It is sponsored by the Dayton Metro Parks and paid all by donations. I don't know how many people attended but on Saturday night the place was packed. It runs for three days. I enjoy this event. Very good Celtic bands such as Gaelic Storm, Dulahan, Father, Sons, and Friends, The Elders, etc. Gaelic Storm is by far the most popular. This was the tenth year for the event and Gaelic Storm has performed for all then years. Many of the others have as well as Dulahan and Father, Sons, and Friends. Missing this year was The Rovers out of Maryland. I liked Jennifer Garman the fiddle player.

The weather was hot with a thunderstorm cutting the show short on Friday night. That caused at least two bands to cut short their Friday night performance. This event is all out doors. While the bands are in big tents they stop playing during a storm. The main tent is a permanent structure. The others are temporary. There are three stages setup with bands scheduled for the entire time the event is open.

This is one of the events in the area where guys bring the kilts out of hiding. I don't know where those kilts are the rest of the year. Hidden deep in the back of the closet I suspect. There was a Variety of kilts this year. Many are contemporary kilts with the Utilikilt being very popular. You also have tartan kilts. I saw one Great Kilt. One pet peeve of mine are the guys that wear the kilt over shorts where the shorts are as long or longer than the kilt. Ok guys, if you are that afraid of the "skirt" thing leave the kilt at home. I guess they think, well, if some pants are showing under the kilt than I am not wearing a skirt. One young man I saw I will give a pass to..... this time. He just got his first kilt at one of the vendor booths. He just put it on over his shorts. Ok, that works for this situation but the next time you wear it leave the shorts at home (or at least cut them off so they can not be seen).

I have a bunch of pictures to look over. I will post a few as time allows. I am going back again today.