The 5th Annual Celtic Fest

With lilt and lift, fiddles and fifes, the 5th Annual San Marcos Celtic Fest will “welcome the return of light” with music, dance, art and traditions from across the cultural diaspora on Sunday, Feb. 9 from noon - 6 p.m. at the San Marcos Activity Center.

This small but vibrant festival fills the venue with lively music, entertainment, more than 20 vendors and activities for the whole family.

The main room will be busy and bustling; the stage is full all day with four Irish/Celtic bands and two styles of dancing. San Marcos bagpiper Robert Eby and others will bridge intervals between the bands and door-prizes contributed by vendors will be announced. In a quieter performance room will be Austin’s Doc Grauzer on harp and storytelling. 

Among the highlights of performers is the return of the Caprock Morris side (team) from Lubbock, sponsored by the Texas Tech Vernacular Music Society. “Border” or “Rag” Morris is an ancient folk-dance style from the border country of England and Wales. Dressed in rags and tatters, wearing bells and face-paint, whooping and clashing sticks, the Border Morris “side” dances the highways and byways of the countryside, capering through the complex figures of dances like “Hell’s Bells” and “The Belligerent Blue Jays.” 

More than 20 area artisan/vendors will be selling high-quality, Celtic-themed gift items and artworks. Hands-on activities for all ages will include very popular soft-tip archery with Scott Keyes  and  art activities facilitated by Texas State Art Education majors and ArtSpace at Centro Cultural.

Gavan Mooney of the of Inishfree School of Irish Dancing performs in front of a crowd during the 2019 festival.

In the foyer, Merlin the Wise and his assistants (including owl) will entertain children of all ages with magic, music and puppetry. At the end of the main hallway an open area will be set up and  area musicians are invited to bring their instruments to play together throughout the event. Additional vendor’s booths will be set up in the front hallway, and some will be set up outside as well.  

Sean Patrick’s Irish Pub, and Wake the Dead Coffeeshop will provide food, sundries, coffee, tea and pastries for sale throughout the day.

This free, annual, family-friendly event is presented by local Irish/Celtic band O’Malarkey, the San Marcos Area Arts Council and the City of San Marcos with support from the San Marcos Arts Commission and sponsors including Fiddler’s Green Music Shop and Dr. James Baker, Lone Star Orthopedics. 

Celtic Fest is free and open to the public.

A prequel to the festival takes place on Saturday from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Activity Center, with rune master David Shelton. Celtic Runes are alphabetic symbols developed in the first century AD and were used by the people of Northern Europe well into the Middle Ages.  

Along with their use in written communication, the runes were considered to be sacred and were used for magic and divination. Today runes are used as a way to offer insight and wisdom into individuals’ lives and ever-unfolding stories. Multi-talented, Shelton, has written and published 20 books of poetry, and “Runes and Archetypes,” published in 2015. He and his wife, Jamie Kimmel Shelton, were the owner/operators of the Blue Goat restaurant from 2004-2009. 

For more information, contact Virginia Davis, vedavis33@gmail.com, or Linda Kelsey-Jones, LKJ@centurytel.net.