The Midwest’s largest “FREE Entry” Cultural event is back and even bigger for 2022 on both Friday and Saturday, August 12th and 13th. Not only is The Sparta Celtic Festival returning to its normal two-day event at Rogers Park with all types of Celtic music and dance, vendors, food and beverage, this year the event is “spreading it’s wings” into Balyeat Park on Saturday, August 13th.
The very popular Sparta Celtic Car Show, which debuted in 2021, (sponsored in part and run by Wolf Lake Auto,) is expanding to 100 plus vehicles along with the much-anticipated return of the full Ancient Athletics Highland Games has facilitated the need to enlarge the Sparta Celtic Festival’s footprint. Festival organizers have worked hard to make the necessary expansion as inclusive as possible, ordering directional signage and setting up food and beverage vendors by the two events. The car show registration begins at 8AM and Highland Games Registration at 9AM. Both events begin at 10AM on Saturday, August 13th.
But you don’t have to wait until Saturday for great entertainment in Roger’s Park. The fun begins on Friday Night at 5PM with Celtic Music by local favorites: SELKIE! There will be three great music acts, and two Irish Dance performances on the O’Dea Family Main Stage and the Alpine Auto Care Dance stage. There will be food and beverages available, as well as plenty for the “wee ones” in the park’s large playground. It will be a great evening of Irish/Celtic Rock with The Barley Saints (from Muskegon,) and Wakefire (from Detroit,) performing later in the evening.
Then on Saturday, Rogers Park comes alive with the “full blown” Sparta Celtic Festival. Vendors, food, beverages, Clan and Cultural booths, children’s activities, “Celtic Kilroy” the living statue, a giant leprechaun, historic reenactments, and so much more. Headlining the entertainment on Saturday at 4:15PM is the internationally acclaimed Celtic roots music group “RUNA,” (https://runamusic.com) sponsored in part by A&B Mechanical Contractors. Six more Celtic music acts and seven Irish and Highland Dance groups will also be performing throughout the day and into the evening.
Cultural Dance is a huge part of the Sparta Celtic Festival, with two groups performing on Friday and seven more on Saturday. The return of the popular ChoiceOne Bank Dance Pavilion will feature those groups, from Detroit to Muskegon on Saturday, beginning at noon and running until about 7:45PM.
Also returning on Saturday, August 13 from noon until 5PM is the festival’s Children’s Area on Union Street, between both Rogers Park and Balyeat Field. Sponsored once again by Freeland Chiropractic Center there will be activities and crafts for the “wee ones” including a mini dance stage staffed by willing instructors from several of the performing dance schools.
New “Adult Beverage Tastings” will be taking place in the Beverage tent. Special Irish whiskey and Scotch whisky will be available, as well as a Wine Tasting by local Stoney Ridge Vineyards. Several food vendor choices and local baked goods complete the culinary experience that is The Sparta Celtic Festival on Saturday.
You could expect to pay as much as $20 to enter a festival like The Sparta Celtic Festival, but thanks to the local support of area businesses, the greater Sparta Area Community and the wonderful work of the SCF Committees, (but more importantly the Sparta Celtic Festival Volunteers who work at events year round raising funds,) the Sparta Celtic Festival is a completely FREE TO ENTER and A FAMILY FRIENDLY FESTIVAL.
For more information, including all of the sponsors, entertainment acts, volunteer-vendor-car show and Highland Games sign up forms and more, visit www.spartacelticfest.org ~ For up to the minute information, follow them at: https://www.facebook.com/SpartaCelticFestival
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