Dashboards and Saddlebags the Destination Magazine™ Issue 035 February 2014 | Page 14

Celtic Festival,
Celebrating All Things Celtic
J

ames Latta, the first owner and
namesake of the site, immigrated to
America from Northern Ireland in 1785
at the age of thirty. Like James Latta,
many of piedmont North Carolina
settlers were Scots-Irish. Latta’s Celtic
Festival celebrates the long history and
traditions of these settlers with a fun
family event for all ages. This year’s
event will be held on St. Patrick’s Day
Weekend, March 15th-16th from 10am
to 4pm each day.
Throughout the weekend spectators
can walk the plantation grounds and
enter the world of Celtic tradition and
entertainment. The event offers multigenerational appeal. Children can play
games, enjoy Celtic storytelling, visit
rare and endangered breeds of historic
farm animals, and watch the shows.
Adults can stop by Olde Mecklenburg
Brewery for a cold beer. All ages can
enjoy live music together while eating
a hot Scottish meal on the grounds.
Latta is calling all the clans for this
event and people can visit those of
Wallace, Blair, Lamont, McIntosh, and
more! Whether you are interested in
learning more about your own Scottish heritage, or are just curious about
this group that shaped so much of our
local culture, you will enjoy chatting
with the clans. After seeing their plaids,
you may even be inspired to leave with
a kilt of your own! If so, some of the
many Celtic vendors around the site can help you get started. There will be
numerous vendors including Near and Far Scottish, Cats Paw Potterie, The
Celtic Rainbow, St. Kilda USA, and others.
Celtic Warriors from throughout history will be at the festival as well. The
term Celtic Warriors may spark images of Mel Gibson in the movie Braveheart. However at Latta you can meet reenactors portraying Celtic warriors
from many different time periods, all the way up through World War II. The

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Dashboards and Saddlebags The Destination Magazine™