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.

🎶A fun tune for your Friday afternoon and a preview of Celtfest's 30th anniversary edition coming up July 3-5. See you i...
05/29/2026

🎶A fun tune for your Friday afternoon and a preview of Celtfest's 30th anniversary edition coming up July 3-5.

See you in Gemmill Park for Cécilia!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

📢Calling all young Celtic musicians and dancers! 🎻Almonte Celtfest is hosting a Youth Showcase at the festival this summ...
05/28/2026

📢Calling all young Celtic musicians and dancers!

🎻Almonte Celtfest is hosting a Youth Showcase at the festival this summer.
Each performer will have 2 songs or 5 minutes for their performance.
The showcase is open to young performers ages 18 and under.

📅The showcase will take place on the Celtfest stage in Gemmill park on Sunday July 5 starting at 12:55 PM.

✍ Send an email to [email protected] to sign up.

Please share this post with any young people you know who may be interested.

💙Partner Spotlight - Big Vintage💙We are so grateful to for their support and contributions towards our Tartan exhibit ...
05/28/2026

💙Partner Spotlight - Big Vintage💙

We are so grateful to for their support and contributions towards our Tartan exhibit at ! They have generously loaned us some Celtic pins, brooches, and tartan housewares to complete the display and demonstrate how widespread this iconic pattern truly is.
If you have not yet visited the exhibit, please do! Take a browse through the numerous tartans, indulge in the history of the textile itself, and leave a note about your family and what tartan means to you in our guest book.
Sláinte!
Find out more about Big Vintage here: https://www.bigvintage.ca/

Enter for your chance to win prizes from these amazing festivals and events! Also, Happy 30th Ottawa Festivals!
05/28/2026

Enter for your chance to win prizes from these amazing festivals and events! Also, Happy 30th Ottawa Festivals!

💜Vendor Spotlight!💜We are so excited to welcome our new friends to the park for this year's festival and our inaugural...
05/28/2026

💜Vendor Spotlight!💜

We are so excited to welcome our new friends to the park for this year's festival and our inaugural Celtic Market! Offering the most uniquely beautiful pottery and stained glass, every single piece is truly a work of art.

You can find their stunning works for sale at Bay & Balm in Almonte.

Are you a volunt-hero?🚨 CALLING ALL VOLUNT-HEROS! 🚨Yes yes yes, we need puppet wranglers, parade pals, ticket takers, te...
05/28/2026

Are you a volunt-hero?

🚨 CALLING ALL VOLUNT-HEROS! 🚨
Yes yes yes, we need puppet wranglers, parade pals, ticket takers, tent titans, crafty humans, people who can carry folding chairs like absolute champions, and folks who simply love making magic happen…
BUT.
We’re also looking for one very special Volunt-Hero to help guide the whole glorious puppet-powered ship…
👀 The Vice Chair of the Puppets Up! Board of Directors.
That’s right, dear pals. One of the BIG ones.
This role is perfect for someone who loves community, creativity, collaboration, and maybe the occasional wonderfully chaotic conversation about giant puppet logistics.
As Vice Chair, you’ll help support the leadership of one of the most joyful festivals around, work alongside an incredible volunteer board, and help shape the future of the as we march toward August 8 & 9, 2026 with confetti in our pockets and puppet dreams in our hearts.
You do NOT need to be a professional puppeteer.
You DO need enthusiasm, kindness, community spirit, and a willingness to jump in and help make wonderful things happen.
Because Puppets Up! has always been powered by people. Neighbours. Dreamers. Builders. Volunteers. Folks who believe joy matters.
Interested?
We would LOVE to hear from you.
📧 [email protected]
And if “Vice Chair” isn’t your thing, never fear! There are dozens of other Volunt-Hero roles waiting for you too.
Come help us bring the magic to life. 🎭✨

🚨 CALLING ALL VOLUNT-HEROS! 🚨

Yes yes yes, we need puppet wranglers, parade pals, ticket takers, tent titans, crafty humans, people who can carry folding chairs like absolute champions, and folks who simply love making magic happen…

BUT.

We’re also looking for one very special Volunt-Hero to help guide the whole glorious puppet-powered ship…

👀 The Vice Chair of the Puppets Up! Board of Directors.

That’s right, dear pals. One of the BIG ones.

This role is perfect for someone who loves community, creativity, collaboration, and maybe the occasional wonderfully chaotic conversation about giant puppet logistics.

As Vice Chair, you’ll help support the leadership of one of the most joyful festivals around, work alongside an incredible volunteer board, and help shape the future of the as we march toward August 8 & 9, 2026 with confetti in our pockets and puppet dreams in our hearts.

You do NOT need to be a professional puppeteer.
You DO need enthusiasm, kindness, community spirit, and a willingness to jump in and help make wonderful things happen.

Because Puppets Up! has always been powered by people. Neighbours. Dreamers. Builders. Volunteers. Folks who believe joy matters.

Interested?
We would LOVE to hear from you.

📧 [email protected]

And if “Vice Chair” isn’t your thing, never fear! There are dozens of other Volunt-Hero roles waiting for you too.

Come help us bring the magic to life. 🎭✨

💪Celtfest runs on volunteers! 💪Behind every fantastic Celtfest weekend, there is a whole lot of energy and enthusiasm fr...
05/28/2026

💪Celtfest runs on volunteers! 💪Behind every fantastic Celtfest weekend, there is a whole lot of energy and enthusiasm from the volunteer board who plan the festival year-round and the dedicated crew of volunteers who make the festival weekend a success each and every summer.

We’re always looking for more amazing people to join the team. There are all sorts of roles available and no minimum time commitment to join in.

Interested in volunteering with us this summer? We’d love to hear from you!
almonteceltfest.com/volunteer-form/

💙Partner Spotlight - The Hub 💙Sending big love to our friends over the ! If you have caught a glimpse of our Tartan exhi...
05/27/2026

💙Partner Spotlight - The Hub 💙

Sending big love to our friends over the ! If you have caught a glimpse of our Tartan exhibit at over the last few weeks, you'll have noticed many different kilts and tartans in display. This was largely thanks to the efforts and generosity of the crew over at The Hub who gathered and has loaned us their collection of kilts for this special display. We are very fortunate to have friends who are so kind and generous - and who also hoard kilts!
If you have not yet stopped in, please do! Take a browse through the numerous tartans, indulge in the history of the textile itself, and leave a note about your family and what tartan means to you in our guest book.

Sláinte!

Find out more about The Hub and get access to their online store here:
https://thehubalmonte.com/

🙌A big thank you to The Hub Almonte for their generous support of the volunteer tent and services at this summer’s 30th...
05/27/2026

🙌A big thank you to The Hub Almonte for their generous support of the volunteer tent and services at this summer’s 30th anniversary edition of the festival.

And happy birthday too. 🎉 They’re celebrating 52 years in the community this week so be sure to stop in soon and show them some love.


💙Partner Spotlight - Dot & Bliss💙Endless thanks to for their help with our Tartan exhibit at ! We are so grateful for t...
05/26/2026

💙Partner Spotlight - Dot & Bliss💙

Endless thanks to for their help with our Tartan exhibit at ! We are so grateful for the partnership and generosity in loaning us many display aids and mannequins. These truly help to create a visual impact and help show off these stunning kilts and tartans.

If you have not yet visited the exhibit, please do! Take a browse through the numerous tartans, indulge in the history of the textile itself, and leave a note about your family and what tartan means to you in our guest book.

Sláinte!

Find out more about Dot & Bliss and visit their online store here: https://dotandbliss.com/

Get your tickets for Riversong Players' production of Godspell - coming to Almonte on June 5-6!
05/26/2026

Get your tickets for Riversong Players' production of Godspell - coming to Almonte on June 5-6!

✨Tickets on sale!

'Every act of love is an act of courage' 🤍

June 5-7, 2026

Almonte Old Town Hall
14 Bridge St, Almonte

https://riversongplayers.ticketsplease.ca/events/godspell/





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182 Bridge Street/Gemmill Park
Almonte, ON
K0A1A0

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