Asheville Celtic Festival 2023 is just weeks away with a host of fun events and attractions. Live music, sword fighting, herding border collies, whiskey tasting, pipers, athletic contests, and so much more! February 18, 2023 at the WNC Agricultural Center Davis Event Center.
Asheville’s third annual Celtic Festival promises to warm things up during the winter season with the Celtic Spirit of the Seven Nations. Come join in the fun and celebrate Celtic history and traditions with food, drink, live entertainment, demonstrations, seminars, vendors, and even a castle!
One of the festival’s biggest attractions are the Scottish athletic contests, such as like the caber toss, stone put, and sheaf toss. People also flock to watch the sheep herding border collies, and who can resist watching the armored sword play of the Knights of Ash? Such fun!
Traditional music plays a large role at the festival, too, with three stages and a full day of live bands. This year’s headliner is Albannach, a uniquely primal ‘Pipes & Drums’ band, featuring a champion piper, a didgeridoo, and tribal style bass drumming. Exhilarating!
Food at the festival is provided by The Scottish Cottage and the Celtic Cafe. Options include Scottish bbq, shepherd’s pie, haggis & mash, Guinness beef stew, fish and chips, and other, freshly prepared Scottish fare. Wash it all down with festival stouts and ales. Non-alcoholic beverage options will also be available. It wouldn’t be a Celtic Festival without whiskey, so be sure to garb tickets for the Whiskey Tent and enjoy tastings of Highland Park, Macallan, and Naked Grouse. Yum!
Looking for a unique gift or two? The festival features a variety of vendors selling a variety of Highland themed apparel and gifts.
2023 Event Schedule
Main Stage
10:30am – Kinnfolk
1pm – Unspoken Tradition
2pm – House of Hamill
3:30pm – Albannach
4:30pm – Syr
6:30pm – Albannach
8pm – Syr
Castle Stage
10am – GMH Pipe Band
11:30am – Irish Dance
12pm – Warriors of Ash
3pm – GMH Pipe Band
5:30pm – Warriors of Ash
7:30pm – Strongman
Celtic Cafe
11am – House of Hamill
12pm – Scotty McKnight
1pm – Kinnfolk
2:30pm – Unspoken Tradition
4pm – Celtic Jam with the Bouzouki Brothers
Outdoor Fields
11am – Scottish Athletics
11:30am – Border Collies
12pm – Scottish Athletics
12:30pm – Warriors of Ash
1pm – Border Collies
1:30pm – Warriors of Ash
2pm – Border Collies
2:30pm – Warriors of Ash
3pm – Scottish Athletics
3:30pm – Border Collies
4pm – Scottish Athletics
4:30pm – Knoxville Pipe and Drum
Classroom Sessions
11am – So, Who Exactly Were the Celts?
12pm – Knoxville Pipe and Drum
1pm – Viking Invasions of the British Isles
2pm – Knoxville Pipe and Drum
3pm – Last Highland Charge: A Revolutionary Battle
Whiskey Tent
Whiskey Tastings at – 12pm, 1:30pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm, & 7:30pm
Asheville Celtic Festival 2023
This year’s festival is scheduled for February 18, 2023, 10am to 9pm, at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center’s Davis Event Center, located at 761 Boylston Highway, Fletcher, NC 28759.
One of the best things about the location of the Asheville Celtic Festival is that it’s just a little over ten minutes from the door of Bent Creek Lodge! How’s that for convenience? Spend the day exploring the fun of the festival, then it’s just a few minutes scenic drive to the comforts of your room at Bent Creek Lodge. Perfect!
Learn more at ashevillecelticfest.com. You can also find this event on Facebook.