Celtic Folk Fest Set at North Bend for September 26 

Opening ceremonies begin at 1:30 p.m. and the Fest continues into the evening.  At 2 p.m. enjoy The Pipes and Drums of St. Andrew followed by Eric Benson at 3 p.m.  The West Virginia Highland Dancers are on stage at 4 p.m. The evening events continue with Paul Asher and Company at 6:30 p.m. and the Appalachian Celtic Consort is the finale at 8 p.m. There is a $5 admission for the entire day.

Sponsors and supporters for the Celtic Folk Fest include: The Center for Celtic Community, North Bend State Park, Harrisville Lions Club, The Log House at Sweet Trees, The Ritchie Gazette, The West Union Bank, Rail Trail Pantry, Highland Faith Fellowship and the Double Scoop.

North Bend State Park is located in Ritchie County minutes from U.S. Route 50 near Cairo and Ellenboro.  The park features a year-round lodge, vacation cabins, restaurant and two campgrounds.  Hiking trails are magnified by North Bend Lake, a 305 impoundment and the North Bend Rail Trail.

For more information regarding the Celtic Folk Fest and North Bend State Park, call 304-643-2931 or visit online at www.northbendsp.com.

About the entertainment

 Appalachian Celtic Consort

The Appalachian Celtic Consort performs traditional Scottish and Irish music in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia. The music catches the energy of the Celtic ceili, where musicians would gather just for the craic (Craic – pronounced “crack” but meaning “great fun”).

·         ACC started out in 1998, and re-invented itself in 2004-2005.  Its members include Patrick Wiegand, who, in addition to playing guitar with the Consort, is a composer, song writer, and percussionist. He regularly performs original material in Charleston area venues. When not “experimenting” with music, Pat is a research chemist.

·         Dewey Sanderson as been playing hammered dulcimer for over 10 years and is active in local hammered dulcimer societies. He also uses a different type of hammer to chip rocks – as a professor of geology.

·         Mark Nelson has played a plethora of instruments over the past 25 years including oboe, saxophone, recorder, guitar, and bagpipes. He has been a member of the Kanawha Valley Pipes and Drums competition unit and performed with the Presby Pickers. He is a chemical engineer during the day.

·         Neil Cadel has had a number of years experience playing Celtic music. Besides playing a mean bodhran, Neil constantly surprises audiences with a creative use of other percussion, like the bones, hand drums, and wooden spoons.  Neil is a geographer.

·         Gladkosky is a music teacher in the southern part of West Virginia. He is also well known in old-time music circles and is a member of the Presby Pickers. In his spare time, he works on restoring a vintage German car

·         Mark Watson teaches science at the University of Charleston but has long been interested in music. He has actually made many of the instruments he plays, and is constantly experimenting with different whistle designs.

For more information about the Appalachian Celtic Consort visit, www.acelticconsort.com.

Paul Asher and Company

Paul Asher has been performing professionally and writing songs for more than 20 years. His career began when he sang on a live country music show in Kansas City. Today, he is one of the most sought after conference and concert vocalists in the Midwest.

Paul has performed as an integral part of several groups raging in style from Gospel Quartet to Western Cowboy and Folk Music.  His interest in his own Celtic Heritage, along with a superb tenor voice and lyrical guitar style, makes him uniquely suited to perform the haunting Irish Scottish Ballads which are the forerunner of much of America's Appalachian and Ozark folk music tradition.

Paul's gift of harmony and musicianship shine in any genre. Performing with him at the Celtic Folk Fest will be his son Luke, as well as several other talented musicians from the Branson area.

West Virginia Highland Dancers / Katy Dillon

The West Virginia Highland Dancers is a performance and competition group based in Elkins, W.Va.  The dancers enjoy traveling their state and the surrounding areas to perform and compete at various festivals and events.

Instructor Katy Dillon started taking Highland dance lessons in 1992 along with her sister Amie. Katy began competing in 1993 and quickly worked her way up to the Premier category. She received her Associate level teaching certification in 1997 at the age of 17. She later went on to complete her Member's certification in 2001.

Katy has organized more than 250 performances for the West Virginia Highland Dancers. She enjoys dancing with the group at festivals and other events, and she loves watching her dancers compete at Highland games. She has choreographed many of her own dances to upbeat Celtic tunes. She also wrote, choreographed, and produced "The Glass Ghillie: A Celtic Cinderella Story" with her friend and fellow dancer, Mandy McCollam.

Aside from teaching dance, Katy has a B.A. in Elementary Education and a M.A. in School Counseling. Currently she works for the Davis & Elkins College Upward Bound Program. She also enjoys doing Irish step dance and belly dance.

The Pipes and Drums of St. Andrew

The Pipes and Drums of St. Andrew was started by Pipe Major James "Seamus" McFadden in 1997. The band is currently under the direction of Drum Major Curt Mitchell and Pipe Major Joseph Quick. The Band is based out of Parkersburg, W.Va., and has members from the surrounding area. They perform at local parades, festivals, and several of the band members also perform solos at weddings, funerals, and other occasions. The band is always looking for new members.

Pipe Major Joe Quick is an experienced bagpiper, teacher and leader who is a co-founder of the Pipes and Drums of St. Andrew.  An annual student at North American Academy of Piping, he has studied with Pipe Major Seamus McFadden of Altoona, PA., Pipe Major E.D. Neigh or Toronto, Ontario, Pipe Major Sandy Jones of Charleston, S.C. and Brian Yates of Boston, Ma., former Pipe Major Albert Kimmel of Greensburg, Pa. and currently of Parkersburg, W.Va.

Eric Benson

Celebrating his Celtic heritage, and with vocal nuances once called “Delightfully celebrative, and yet at times, wistful…”  Eric Benson has performed on stage with such diverse artists as the Salvation Army New York Staff Band, Christian recording artists The Jacobs Brothers, dance club favorite Charlz Berkhouse (Uro), and The Boatrights.

Music has been a part of Eric Benson’s life for many years.  As a youth, Benson played in various community theatre and choir productions, found himself singing with a swing orchestra, playing front man for a “techno-pop” band, and providing voice talent for various radio programs.

In addition to his musical ventures, Benson has served as a pastor, a historical railroad consultant, and an anchor/producer for television.  Benson holds degrees in Transportation Logistics and Ministry.  He now serves as Pastor for Highland Faith Fellowship in Cairo, and directs the Center for Celtic Community.

17^th Virginia Regiment

17th Virginia Regiment of Cavalry Company F  “Nighthawkrangers”  is a Civil War re-enacting unit based in Parkersburg, W.Va. They travel across the region and will be setting up an encampment at Celtic Fest.