Meet Our 2025 Headlining Band

The headlining performer of the 2025 Samhain Celtic New Year Festival is Na Rósaí Trio.

Na Rósaí Trio is a Portland-based band featuring Preston Howard on Uilleann pipes and whistles; Richie Rosencrans on bouzouki, tenor guitar, and vocals; and Erik Killops on fiddle. Na RósaÍ performs traditional Irish, Appalachian, Scottish, Breton, and other Celtic and Folk music and songs. The band explores the links between the musical traditions of the Celtic regions and North America by arranging tunes from the two regions with a traditional sensibility. Na Rósaí is Irish Gaelic for “The Roses” in honor of Portland, the City of Roses.

The trio will play a concert at 11 a.m. and explore different dance tune types, such as reels, jigs, and hornpipes. What makes a tune danceable? How do you put together sets?  There will be some dancers on hand to demonstrate the different steps that fit these tune types.

They will also provide live music for the ceili dance that wraps up the festival from 4 to 5 p.m. 

So join us at the 2025 Samhain Celtic New Year Festival, 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 25 in The Spinning Room at Willamette Heritage Center.