If it's not Scottish, it's Anyway, go Celtic crazy this weekend. Visit the Photo Place

CAN'T GET TO IRELAND? THEN HEAD TO LEESBURG INSTEAD THIS WEEKEND

Top picks for out-of-town activities

By PEGGY CARLSON

Date published: 6/11/2009

By PEGGY CARLSON

The clans are gathering, the pipes will skirl and the plaids will flash in Leesburg this weekend for the annual Potomac Celtic Festival at Morven Park in Leesburg.

The festival is a celebration of all things Celtic, and the activities include living history, live music, dancing, athletic demonstrations and children's activities.

The heart of any Celtic gathering is music, and the festival will be bursting with lively sound and song. Some of the groups performing include "Cantrip," a quartet of Scottish traditional musicians; Bruce Molsky; "Iona," who plays an acoustic weave of the traditional music of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany and beyond; "Tinsmith," a high-energy folk band playing traditional music of Ireland, Scotland and Appalachia; the "Bog Band," playing flute, guitar, bodhran, tin whistle, uilleann pipes, harp and cello; "Furnace Mountain;" and the "Irish Inn Mates."

If there is anything closer to the Celtic heart than music, it might be dance. Feet will fly with the Thistle Dancers, Breton Dance Workshop, Patchwork Dancers, a clogging workshop and more.

Visitors can also step back in time at the living-history area, including presentations on:

Tuatha Preachain--pre-Roman 50 B.C.

"Legio XX"--Twentieth Legion re-creates the soldiers and civilians of ancient Rome

MacLean's Company of McDonnell's Regiment of Irishe Foote--1644

Her Britannic Majesty's Own--Mid-Victorian Living History Group, 1854-1856

28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Co. B--1861

Irish Transvaal Brigade, Second Anglo-Boer War--1899-1902

Irish Guards--1900-1987

The West Cork Flying Column, Irish War of Independence--1919-1921.

The workshop tent will offer information about spinning; Irish, Welsh and Scots Gaelic language; playing the bodhran and Celtic-style fiddles; Bardic tradition; Celtic herbalism; Waulking the Tweed; beggar's circus and more.

There will also be a Celtic lore tent with continually running programs by area experts and storytellers.

Brawn and athletic ability will play a big role in the weekend festivities during demonstrations and competition in hammer, caber, sheef and stone events.

For the shoppers, there will be a large variety of vendors with Celtic-themed items including wine, gifts, pottery, food, crafts, artwork, jewelry, clothing, music, Medieval and Renaissance books, leather goods and much more.

Advance tickets are available through tomorrow; $12/adults, $10/seniors and $6/children.

Tickets at the gate are $15/adults, $12/seniors and $7/children ages 6-12. There are discounted prices for active-military personnel and their families: $12/adults and $6/children.

The festival is open Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. It will be held at Morven Park Historic Green and Mansion, 17263 Southern Planter Lane in Leesburg. For details: 866/771-7786; potomaccelticfest.org; or by e-mail: information@poto maccelticfest.org.

Peggy Carlson: 540/374-5400

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Date published: 6/11/2009