This marks our 10th year and we have come a long way! Our first festival hosted 300 people including the bands and vendors in what looked like at that time a very large community park. These days we fill the park with our festival volunteers, bands, athletes, and vendors as we welcome thousands of visitors each day of the Celtic weekend. The Florida Keys Celtic Festival was a dream of St. Columba Episcopal Church as a way to celebrate the Celtic heritage of our namesake St. Columba and to pay tribute to the shared island cultures of the City of Marathon and the beautiful island of Iona off of the coast of Scotland. Over the years we have traveled through Scotland and Ireland on pilgrimages as a church community and we joyfully welcome our Irish bands, The Screaming Orphans and The Byrne Brothers, our Scottish Band Albannach and we can’t forget our stateside favorites, West of Galway and Police Pipe and Drum Corp of Florida. With Marcille Wallis of Celtic Heritage Productions at the helm of our entertainment program, we know that the music is always amazing–toe-tapping and high jumping. We look forward to working with many local partners, the City of Marathon, City of Marathon Parks and Recreation, Marathon Electric Light & Sign, FKEC, and the Florida Keys TDC as we work together to bring you the best Celtic weekend in Florida every year.
The Florida Keys Celtic Festival is a party with a purpose. The sole recipient of money raised by the FKCF is The Hammock House, Free After School and Camp Program. Over the past ten years through ticket sales, your donations, and our Nearly New Thrift Boutique we have raised over 1 million dollars to enable The Hammock House to benefit hundreds of children and families in the City of Marathon. In addition, the FKCF annually offers 2 college scholarships to graduating seniors from Marathon High School. We are so pleased to help children and families live full and beautiful lives of opportunity and creativity.
This year we are excited to bring some new events to this year’s festival.
Bring your pets on Sunday to the Pets and Pipers Parade! Bring your Westie, Irish Water Spaniel, Scottish Deerhound or your beloved Mutt (we are all Celtic at the FKCF) to this fun pet parade! Register to be entered to Win a prize for your beloved pet. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/nBLh8gF/PupsandPipers
Come early for our first ever Zero K Fun Run (Come on – You’ve trained your whole life for this!). Registration is limited so sign up in advance to get your one of a kind T-shirt. Register today https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/LhdhtQO
Drew from Albannach, better known as Didgeridrew will be making didgeridoos with the kids on Saturday 2:00 at The Celtic Crossroads Tent. Space is limited to the first 20 people.
We are looking for Four Teams to see who has what it takes for be The Florida Keys Top Warrior Team in our very own Florida Keys “Celtic Games”. $400.00 to the winning team and prizes awarded to the top male and female overall winners. Stone Carry, Hammer Hurl, Stone Throw and Tug of War! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1D5bRdH1tK7QgoC_iAqG88tORMIVzWaaAJ4_BC45rCEQ/edit