Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival celebrates history and tradition
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New Mexico may not have the seaside villages and rolling green hills that Ireland and Scotland are known for, but during the Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival, you can get a taste of the nations鈥� heritage.
On Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4, embrace Celtic traditions in their truest form at sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 Balloon Fiesta Park.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a traditional festival, so we have Highland dancing competitions and Irish step dancing demonstrations and Highland athletics,鈥� said Sue Jacobi, president of the Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival.
Traditionally, Celtic festivals include demonstrations of strength, with athletics playing an important role as a way to celebrate physical prowess. Historically, Highland athletes are paying homage to Celtic warriors.
At the festival, attendees can expect to see Scottish heavy athletics, which includes a light and heavy hammer throw, sheaf tossing and the iconic caber toss 鈥� in which athletes lug giant tree logs to see who can flip them the farthest.
Each day, the festival will open with Celtic music. When the music isn鈥檛 playing, guests can watch various dance competitions, including the Highland dance, featuring performers in kilts.
鈥淭he Highland dance was also for the soldiers,鈥� Jacobi said. 鈥淵ou would dance to intimidate your enemies, so a lot of this has kind of descended into more modern times, whereas we have pretty girls and lovely young men doing Highland dancing.鈥�
To keep the traditions rolling, Celtic food will be served at the festival. Take a bite into classic meat pie or try a taste of haggis, a savory dish made from a sheep鈥檚 heart and liver mixed with oatmeal and spices. Other food vendors include Old Norse World Cuisine, beer from Quarter Celtic Brewpub and baked goods from Le Paris Bakery.
鈥淏ecause we鈥檙e in sa国际传媒官网网页入口, we are going to have some local fare, but we also have a couple vendors who are coming and bringing haggis, which is what the poor people ate, so there is some traditional food,鈥� Jacobi said.
For people who prefer to shop, vendors like Desert Oasis Creations, C.H.HUTCHINSON and Carbony Celtic Winds will be selling kilts, accessories and wind instruments.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to be Scottish or Irish to come to this festival,鈥� Jacobi said. 鈥淵ou can come and enjoy and learn about another aspect of history and enjoy the festivities, music, food and telephone poles being tossed. You don鈥檛 have to be Celtic at all, but we will make you an honorary Celt the moment you walk through the gate.鈥�
