Fest Test

COOS BAY — On Saturday, May 7, the sixth South Coast Celtic Fest will fill the Hales Center at Southwestern Oregon Community College with culture and fun from the Celtic nations. 

This year’s festival features The Fire Inside, a Celtic band from the Seattle Area, and Two Rivers Morris, a group from Eugene that performs Morris dancing, a lively traditional dance form from the British Isles.

Starting at 10 a.m. there’ll be 19 hands-on workshops in music, crafts and history. Try Scottish dancing, learn to play the bodhran or write your own pub song. Make a bracelet or learn how to travel off the beaten path in Ireland and Scotland. Kids can listen to stories, learn a dance, make a drum or bring their violin and learn Irish fiddling. 

The evening concert at 7 p.m. will feature a grand entry by the Oregon Coast Pipe and Drum Band, followed by lively dancing by Two Rivers Morris, singing with Bill Mrkvicka and then the hot Irish and Scottish sounds of The Fire Inside. There’ll also be free Celtic music all day, plus a jam session for all comers at 5 p.m. Vendors and a Celtic buffet dinner will round out the experience. 

An all-workshops pass is $15 for adults and $5 for children, and tickets to the evening concert are $20. The Celtic Fest is a benefit for the South Coast Folk Society, Coastal Celtic Society and Soroptimist International of the Coos Bay Area. For complete workshop descriptions and ticket info, visit http://southcoastfolksociety.wordpress.com, find South Coast Celtic Fest on Facebook, or call 541-808-1773. Southwestern Oregon Community College is at 1988 Newmark Ave. in Coos Bay.

But wait -- there's more!

Sunday, May 8: Loch Ness Monster Film Festival at the Egyptian Theatre, 229 S. Broadway, Coos Bay. $5. 4 p.m.: Family movie, "The Water Horse." 6 p.m.: Short films about Loch Ness Monster, one of Scotland’s most intriguing mysteries. Vote on local favorites. Make a film and enter it to win; details at southcoastcelticfest.com.

More info: Gail Elber, 541-808-1773.