Almonte Celtfest

Almonte Celtfest Almonte Celtfest will be back for a great, big 30th edition! Join us July 3-5, 2026 in Gemmill Park. The history of Celtfest began in 1997.

All 3 days are BY-DONATION to celebrate 30 years of music in the park! Celtfest is an almost entirely free weekend of Ottawa Valley and Celtic entertainment, performed in the natural amphitheatre of Gemmill Park in the heart of Almonte. It is a time to share the historical Celtic traditions with today’s local performers. Celtfest also presents a select group of unique artisans and vendors of speci

alty goods with a Celtic flair. Mission
Our mission is to celebrate and promote the Celtic heritage of the Ottawa Valley through music and dance and to make this accessible to all. We want to give up-and-coming performers an opportunity to display their talents in their home community. To do this, we feature a free event with a number of entertainers who have a Celtic quality, as well as a wide variety of vendors of Celtic goods. We also provide a tent for seniors and entertainment for children, along with great food and beverages for all. Motivated by a love of Celtic heritage, Brian and Dan O’Connell, along with Terry Currie, looked for a way to keep their musical traditions alive and pass on the legacy of the Celts to the wider community. Throughout generations, fiddling and stepdancing have had a strong presence in the Ottawa Valley. Celtic music has continued to thrive in kitchens, pubs, and churches, Brian O’Connell explains. “In the early to mid 90s, there was a revival of Celtic music, such as Riverdance. We felt with all the local talent in the area, we could put together an event that would promote local musical talent and a day to reflect on the Celtic heritage.

📣 Celtfest fans are in for a treat! Almonte native Kelly Sloan is returning to play Celtfest this summer with Jig. Kell...
06/05/2026

📣 Celtfest fans are in for a treat! Almonte native Kelly Sloan is returning to play Celtfest this summer with Jig.

Kelly Sloan is a classically trained singer/songwriter and performer of a wide variety of styles. With four original albums and multiple collaborations under her belt, her songs have connected with audiences on tours and festivals throughout Canada and Europe.

Sloan’s vocal versatility allows her to showcase a wide range of styles including, Celtic, classical, country, & folk. She joins three of the area's most talented players for this year's performance to offer a set of music interpreted with heart, skill and Celtic pride.

Be sure to come hear Kelly Sloan & Jig in Gemmill Park on July 5. We’ll see you there!

🩷Vendor Spotlight!🩷Celtfest is elated to have the Little Pink Caravan joining us in the park for this year's festival we...
06/04/2026

🩷Vendor Spotlight!🩷

Celtfest is elated to have the Little Pink Caravan joining us in the park for this year's festival weekend! There is nothing better than a cold lemonade on a hot sunny day and has you covered!

🎉HEAR YE, HEAR YE! 🎉 The official lineup for Celtfest 2026 is here! Behold, festival goers, your weekend plans for July ...
06/04/2026

🎉HEAR YE, HEAR YE! 🎉 The official lineup for Celtfest 2026 is here! Behold, festival goers, your weekend plans for July 3-5, 2026!

👀 Check this page over the next month and a bit as we share previews of some of these fantastic artists and drop details about all the other great stuff that’s coming together to make this year's 30th edition of Celtfest so special.

🎵 We can't wait to see you all out there on the lawn at Gemmill Park!

🍀🎻🪕🪗🪈🎤🥁🍀




Mississippi Mills Leahy Derina Harvey Band Lennie Gallant Bon Débarras Cécilia
Chelsey June Nina Segalowitz Kelly Sloan CR5 Bluegrass Graham Lindsey - TradHead Joe Ray McDonald The Ottawa Celtic Choir
Almonte Legion Pipe Band Branch 240 Levi Home Hardware Building Centre Minto Homes Ottawa Folk Canada Ottawa Festivals

06/03/2026

🎉 This summer we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary!

Would you consider making a donation or becoming a sponsor to ensure that Celtfest continues for years to come?

After all, Almonte Celtfest is more than a weekend of music.

🙌 It’s a celebration of community and culture.

🎶 It’s a chance to hear some of the best Celtic entertainment out there on the same stage as some of the finest local talent.

🎻 It’s the opportunity to participate in living traditions by taking a workshop or sitting in on an impromptu ceilidh session.

🎵 It’s cheering on the next generation of area musicians performing with the Youth stage and annual Danny O’Connell Memorial Award.

🙌 And it’s all thanks to the generosity of folks like you. If you’re an individual please consider a donation to our festival and if you’re a business owner please have a look at our sponsorship packages.

To donate to Almonte Celtfest: https://almonteceltfest.com/donate/

To learn more about sponsorship: https://almonteceltfest.com/sponsors/

📣 Time for a lineup announcement! This summer Celtfest is proud to present Ailíse! ☘️ Born in Ireland and now based in ...
06/02/2026

📣 Time for a lineup announcement! This summer Celtfest is proud to present Ailíse!

☘️ Born in Ireland and now based in upstate New York, AILÍSE (pronounced eye-leash) is a multi-instrumentalist from the west coast of Ireland whose practice honours the Irish tradition while also drawing inspiration from other diverse musical landscapes. Her work is centred around emotive vocal performance with controlled vibrato, tight melodic agility and a haunting, spellbinding tone that carries ancestral spirit from forgotten times.

🎻 This proficient air of musical mysticism flows into her playing on the fiddle and low whistle, engaging and enchanting those who witness her performances. In her music, AILÍSE explores themes of self-development, historical memory and the human effort to navigate complexity and change.

🎶 Ailise will be performing with New York-based Greg Castro, a songwriter and musician whose unique and powerful style captures attention, and leaves an impression on audiences big and small. A Catskill Mountain native, his classic yet refreshing melodies have a bold, refined taste, reminiscent of the rolling jams of Woodstock, the tight snap of the hotel big bands, and the folk intimacy of Bearsville.

🎸 Together they share a live performance that is both intimate and quietly powerful. Blending Irish folk with elements of Catskill mountain rock, their sound is shaped in the moment—fiddle, low whistle, and guitar weaving naturally around each other.

Be sure to catch Ailíse’s set!

🩵Vendor Spotlight!🩵Sending big love to our Celtic Market sponsor Bay & Balm Apothecary! Pop by their booth in the park f...
06/01/2026

🩵Vendor Spotlight!🩵

Sending big love to our Celtic Market sponsor Bay & Balm Apothecary! Pop by their booth in the park festival weekend, visit their online store anytime, or stop by their brick and mortar shop in Almonte!

You can find their online store here:
https://www.bayandbalm.com

Help our Ottawa Gaels GAA get to Ireland for the GAA World Games this summer! The draw will take place on Saturday, July...
06/01/2026

Help our Ottawa Gaels GAA get to Ireland for the GAA World Games this summer! The draw will take place on Saturday, July 4th at Celtfest!

Who's getting excited for Celtfest this summer! We know we are. Lennie Gallant will be playing Friday night in the park ...
06/01/2026

Who's getting excited for Celtfest this summer! We know we are.

Lennie Gallant will be playing Friday night in the park presented by the Thomas Cavanagh Foundation on July 3.

It's gonna be a good one! Come on out!

https://youtu.be/OvGeigCeCbw?si=OqZ3ZlzD4Z5BZyqY

From the hit musical SEARCHING FOR ABEGWEIT: THE ISLAND SONGS & STORIES OF LENNIE GALLANTWoven around the music of the award winning Island songwriter, this ...

Have you seen the Puppets Up Lineup?? Lots of fun for the whole family!
05/31/2026

Have you seen the Puppets Up Lineup?? Lots of fun for the whole family!

📣 We’re thrilled to announce that Cécilia will be performing at Celtfest this summer! 🪗 Widely recognized as three of Ca...
05/30/2026

📣 We’re thrilled to announce that Cécilia will be performing at Celtfest this summer!

🪗 Widely recognized as three of Canada's finest musicians, it is a pleasure to see how much enjoyment Timi Turmel, Erin Leahy, and Louis Schryer find in playing together.

🎶 While honouring their heritage as Cécilia, their music making has an undeniably fresh and high-spirited sound. They bring the best of many musical worlds together in their explorations of traditional, Celtic and Quebecois music.

🎻 Each performance by Cécilia is a call to come out and share – not only in the joy of three dedicated musicians making music together but also in creating with Timi, Erin, and Louis a unique and memorable musical experience. You'll find yourself with a smile that lasts long after the final notes of Cécilia's accordion, piano, and violin have melted away.

It’s gonna be a great set!! We’ll see you there!

Folk Canada Ottawa Festivals

Address

182 Bridge Street/Gemmill Park
Almonte, ON
K0A1A0

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Almonte Celtfest posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Restaurant

Send a message to Almonte Celtfest:

Shortcuts

Share