I'm seriously thinking of going to Cape Breton Island in October for the Celtic Colors Festival. Lots of things going on simultaneously in different towns, and they all sound great. Anyone familiar enough to have suggestions on performers or venues not to miss?
It's supposed to be a great festival but it's spread out over a wide tow, ie all the towns and villages so you would need transport to get around. You'd probably need to plan things quite well to see everything you want. It's great for artistes and the locals, though.
Here's the link if you haven't seen it already.
It's a great festival. Unless you don't want much, it's impossible to see everything you want. You just do the best you can and wish you could clone yourself. There's lots of driving, but the scenery is so spectacular that you'll want to be driving anyway. It's a good idea to stay someplace central, like Baddeck, so nothing's more than maybe 90 minutes away. None of the venues I went to was especially worth seeing for its own sake - but you should go to venues in a variety of places so you get to see lots the island.
Don't miss the Glenora Distillary on Saturday nights. When I was there it was livly and if you see Sean, an old man of about 80 or so, tell him Johnathan said hello.
i went to celtic colours two years ago and it was just amazing. based on my experience, i'd recommend buying at least some of your tickets online well ahead of the festival. a lot of the events sell out, and it would be a drag to go all the way to the festival & not be able to hear the people you wanted to hear.
as gary pointed out, stuff is spread out all over the island, so look at a map when you plan what you're going to do -- you really don't want to be running from ingonish to port hastings on the same day, for example, unless you really like to drive. similarly, try to stay someplace relatively centrally located (like gary, i stayed near baddeck).
a lot of the best music happens after the 'official' festival day ends at the festival club at the gaelic college in st ann's. in theory, it runs from 11 pm to 2 am, but i never remember leaving before 3:30 or so ... and even then, things were going strong when i left.
the distillery near inverness is definitely a place to go, as johnathan suggests. two years ago, at least, they had music in the afternoons during the week from john macdougall, one of the best of the old-style cape breton fiddlers. if you get a chance to hear him, tell him the concertina player from oregon says hi.
Celtic Colors International Festival
Celtic Colors International Festival
I'm seriously thinking of going to Cape Breton Island in October for the Celtic Colors Festival. Lots of things going on simultaneously in different towns, and they all sound great. Anyone familiar enough to have suggestions on performers or venues not to miss?
# Posted on July 10th 2004 by mjct
Re: Celtic Colors International Festival
It's supposed to be a great festival but it's spread out over a wide tow, ie all the towns and villages so you would need transport to get around. You'd probably need to plan things quite well to see everything you want. It's great for artistes and the locals, though.
Here's the link if you haven't seen it already.
http://www.celtic-colours.com
# Posted on July 10th 2004 by Johannes J
Re: Celtic Colors International Festival
"Wide tow". Sorry, I meant to say "wide area"
# Posted on July 10th 2004 by Johannes J
Re: Celtic Colors International Festival
It's a great festival. Unless you don't want much, it's impossible to see everything you want. You just do the best you can and wish you could clone yourself. There's lots of driving, but the scenery is so spectacular that you'll want to be driving anyway. It's a good idea to stay someplace central, like Baddeck, so nothing's more than maybe 90 minutes away. None of the venues I went to was especially worth seeing for its own sake - but you should go to venues in a variety of places so you get to see lots the island.
# Posted on July 10th 2004 by GaryAMartin
Re: Celtic Colors International Festival
Don't miss the Glenora Distillary on Saturday nights. When I was there it was livly and if you see Sean, an old man of about 80 or so, tell him Johnathan said hello.
Johnathan
# Posted on July 10th 2004 by Harper_Lad
Re: Celtic Colors International Festival
i went to celtic colours two years ago and it was just amazing. based on my experience, i'd recommend buying at least some of your tickets online well ahead of the festival. a lot of the events sell out, and it would be a drag to go all the way to the festival & not be able to hear the people you wanted to hear.
as gary pointed out, stuff is spread out all over the island, so look at a map when you plan what you're going to do -- you really don't want to be running from ingonish to port hastings on the same day, for example, unless you really like to drive. similarly, try to stay someplace relatively centrally located (like gary, i stayed near baddeck).
a lot of the best music happens after the 'official' festival day ends at the festival club at the gaelic college in st ann's. in theory, it runs from 11 pm to 2 am, but i never remember leaving before 3:30 or so ... and even then, things were going strong when i left.
the distillery near inverness is definitely a place to go, as johnathan suggests. two years ago, at least, they had music in the afternoons during the week from john macdougall, one of the best of the old-style cape breton fiddlers. if you get a chance to hear him, tell him the concertina player from oregon says hi.
sarah in portland
# Posted on July 10th 2004 by eleyne