Biddy on the Bench headlines the 2022 festival!

Step into a world of Celtic culture at the Ceili of the Valley’s annual Samhain Celtic New Year Festival 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in the Spinning Room at the Willamette Heritage Center, 1313 Mill St. SE. 

Learn to sing a shanty. Try your feet at set dancing. Explore Celtic history and heritage. Listen to stories of the wee folk and faeries. Visit the family area for opportunities to craft. Shop vendors of a cultural nature. The festival offers a wide variety of experiences, information and opportunities for all ages, including mini highland games where kids can test their skills at the caber toss, sheaf toss, and welly throw. 

This year’s headlining band is Biddy on the Bench, a four-piece Portland-based band playing Irish music from ballads and pub classics to rebel songs, harmonized shanties, traditional tunes and more. In addition to performing, the band will be teaching workshops exploring Uilleann pipes, Irish fiddle and shanty singing.

Come hungry and ready for lunch! Celtic culinary delights, such as potato soup, cock-a-leekie soup, and bubble and squeak soup (prepared by local eatery Sassy Onion), as well as other sweet and savory treats, will be available for purchase.

Samhain, pronounced “sow-in” (“ow” like in cow), is a Gaelic festival that marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the “darker half” of the year. It is traditionally recognized on November 1 and considered the Celtic New Year. 

Salem nonprofit Ceili of the Valley Society celebrates the occasion with an immersive day of entertainment honoring the seven Celtic nations (Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, Galicia and Isle of Man) that includes live music, speakers, workshops and educational, hands-on activities that are fun for the whole community. 

Festival admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students. Free for children younger than 12. 

Keep an eye on www.celticfestival.info for more information about the festival. You can also like us on Facebook: facebook.com/orcelticfest; follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/orcelticfest; and follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/orcelticfest

The Samhain Celtic New Year Festival is supported by Capitol Toyota, Salem Heath, The Summit Group of Oregon, Friends of Ceili of the Valley, KMUZ Community Radio, Real Systems, and a grant of Transient Occupancy Tax from the City of Salem.

Samhain Celtic New Year Festival

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 22
Where: Spinning Room at Willamette Heritage Center, 1313 Mill St. SE
Cost: $10 adults, $5 students and free for children younger than 12.
Information: orcelticfest@gmail.com or visit www.celticfestival.info  

The Samhain Celtic New Year Festival is organized by the Ceili of the Valley Society, a Salem-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and perpetuating Celtic heritage and culture in the Willamette Valley primarily through social events that incorporate music and dance. An all-volunteer organization, the society teaches weekly classes and holds dances with live music on the second Friday of the month. For more information, visit www.ceiliofthevalley.org.