The Celts are coming to Ringgold on Labor Day weekend as part of the Appalachian Celtic Festival and Highland Games. This will be the second year in a row that Ringgold has hosted the festival, and there are high hopes for a great turnout. “Ringgold has been great to work with for our Celtic Festival and we’re looking forward to a great couple of days,” said Richard Ball, treasurer of the Appalachian Celtic Connection and one of the chief organizers of this year’s Ringgold festival.

Ball also added, “We wanted to help the community recover, so a portion of the proceeds from this year’s festival will go to a local charity formed for tornado victims.”

The Appalachian Celtic Festival and Highland Games are being sponsored by the Appalachian Celtic Connection, and will be held on Labor Day weekend, September 3 and 4, at 288 Emberson Drive in Ringgold Georgia.

The festival runs from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday, and from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday. The festival will include traditional Celtic and Appalachian music, arts, crafts, and demonstrations, as well as the Scottish Highland Athletic Games.

There will be a traditional Ceilidh (pronounced ‘key-lee’), which is a party or gathering, that will be held Saturday night at the Ringgold Depot. Admission to the Ceilidh is $8 for adults and $5 for children age 6 - 12 (including a dessert) and under age 6 free. Admission for the festival is $5 for adults age 13 and up and $3 for children age 6 to 12. Children under age 6 enter free.

The Appalachian Celtic Connection is a non-profit organization founded to preserve and celebrate heritage for the present and future generations.

For more information go to appalachiancelticconnection.org