Celtic Festivaling

I recently discovered my ancestry through DNA testing. There was a lot more Irish/Welsh/British than I thought! No wonder I have an affinity for all things Celtic. It might also explain the slight red undertones in my hair…or maybe that’s just my wishful thinking.

Mikaela and I recently attended a weekend-long Celtic festival that celebrated the Irish and Scottish settlements in the American Midwest. One day, we’ll get to enjoy such festivities in Ireland and Scotland, but for now, we’ll celebrate a little closer to home.

The festivities were a sight to see! Kilt wearers were everywhere and even had their own special parade with the local bagpipe band. Men and women alike proudly displayed their tartan combinations of red-blue-gold, green-blue-red and so many more. Some wore traditional kilts, others wore t-shirts with modern cargo-kilts. There were even toddlers and puppies wearing kilts–so adorable! And if you didn’t have a kilt or if you didn’t know what tartan colors you should get, there were historians on sight to help you discover a colorful evolution, and then you could buy your very own kilt from several different vendors, complete with sporrans and brooches.

The eyes were not the only sense flooded; the aroma of delicious food filled the nostrils! I sought out the blue vendor booth. I couldn’t remember the name of it but I sure remember the crabby hash! A couple of years ago, I attended the same festival for the first time. I stood in line behind Shawn, one of the Irish musicians of Socks in the Frying Pan (really nice guy!). He told me the crabby hash tasted just like it did back home! Can’t beat that! Guess what I’ve ordered each time since then?! For those new to Irish food, crabby hash is a delectable crab cake served on top of 3-potato hash–potatoes cut into bite-sized chunks and cooked to perfection, and then you drizzle this special dill sauce alllll over it. I’m salivating as I type…so yummy!

Crabby Hash! It’s a crab cake on top of 3-potato-hash, with dill sauce drizzled on top.

The Drowsy Lads!

There were other foods, too! You could find a Scottish menu at the red vendor–again, I forget the name; good thing they weren’t in just plain white tents! The menu at the red vendor served bangers and mash, haggis, and fish and chips. All so yummy! If your palate wasn’t up for such delicacies, you could find burgers, funnel cakes, and gyros. Yep! Greek. They had incredibly long lines! And, yes, Mikaela and I enjoyed that as well. Speaking of Irish musicians, the music lineup was incredible! It included The Drowsy Lads, Socks in the Frying Pan, Scythian, We Banjo 3, and Gaelic Storm, among so many others!

I wasn’t sure how Mikaela would handle me dragging her out there for the whole weekend, but she was a trooper! At just barely 8 months of age, she was just learning to crawl and she didn’t walk yet, so the stroller and baby wrap were lifesavers! I also brought a blanket so we could sit and enjoy the music all around us while we ate and played. She tried all the foods! I was pleasantly surprised she enjoyed the crabby hash as much as I did.

The best volunteer!

We didn’t just enjoy food and entertainment. We also volunteered to sell water and cokes. There’s no admission fee to the festival and it’s run by volunteers, so selling beverages was one way they could recoup the expenses. I wore Mikaela in my Líllé baby wrap. She sold so many beverages to thirsty passersby! She really has a winning personality!

So what is my point of this blog post? I’m so glad you asked!

It was a great learning experience for Mikaela&Me! I was able to expose her to a culture different from our everyday lifestyle. It showed me how flexible I am and how well we work together as a team. But do you know what really impressed Mikaela&Me? The sincerity and helpfulness of strangers! People were so very kind, and we made a few new friends.

I look forward to the festival season each year, specifically the Celtic ones! Hopefully, next year we can attend more than one, and you’ll get to see Mikaela&Me dancing with joy and fervor to traditional Irish music.

Follow me!