EVENT | ALBUQUERQUE
The Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival features Scottish Heavy Athletics, music, dance and more
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From bagpipes to hammer throws, the Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival has something for everyone Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4.
It鈥檚 the 38th edition of the event, and Sue Jacobi, festival president, said it celebrates the culture of the Celtic nations like Ireland, Wales and Galicia.
She said these nations share similar customs, outlooks and music, which will be on display at the festival in their modern forms.
A major part of the festival is the Scottish Heavy Athletics competition, comprised of nine events 鈥� Braemar stone and open stone, light and heavy hammer, light and heavy weight for distance, sheaf toss, weight over bar and caber toss.
Participants don kilts and compete in men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 brackets in novice and professional categories. Jacobi said a great deal of technique and skill is involved in the games.
鈥淭his just isn鈥檛 a sporadic, 鈥極h, I鈥檓 just going to throw this log over here,鈥欌�� Jacobi said.
The festival also hosts a Highland dance competition.
Jacobi said centuries ago, Highland dance was performed by warriors, but now it is predominantly performed by female dancers. The competition starts at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Along with the competitive dancing, several groups will perform including the Sliabh Sandia Set Dancers, Brightburn Irish Dance and McTeggart Irish Dance. Headlining the musical performances is Ally the Piper, a contemporary bagpipe player popular on YouTube.
Jacobi said the Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival began as a very small event, but has grown exponentially. She said the event welcomes people of all ages to experience the food, music and more.
鈥淲e鈥檒l make you a Celt for a day,鈥� Jacobi said.
Elizabeth Secor is an arts fellow from the New Mexico Local News Fellowship program. You can reach her at esecor@abqjournal.com.
