Starbridge Celtic Festival celebrates heritage with music, food and fun.

Scotland’s Jim Malcolm and locals Emerald Rose to headline event

          The North Georgia mountains are a natural place to hear Celtic music.  Immigrants from Scotland and Ireland brought their jigs and reels with them when they came to this area, setting down homesteads and planting the roots for bluegrass and country music.  A new music festival in the Dahlonega area is celebrating our Celtic roots with a full moon lakeside concert on Saturday, July 19 from 1pm – 11 pm.  The Starbridge Celtic Festival will be held at the Starbridge festival grounds, and offers a wide spectrum of Celtic music, Scottish and American food, (from Haggis Puffs to Hamburgers), art and craft vendors as well as bagpipers, Scottish fighting displays and a Birds of Prey show.

          Scottish songwriter Jim Malcolm and local Celtic folk rockers Emerald Rose will headline the event.  Regional performers Sgian Dubh, Duncan and Sally McLaughlin, Arthur Hinds and Brian Sullivan round out the musical menu, which will commence with a Celtic Coffeehouse beginning at 1:30 pm and move to the main stage as the evening progresses.

          Award winning Scottish songwriter Jim Malcolm, who toured the world as guitarist and lead singer for the famed Scottish band Old Blind Dogs, will take the stage as top billing.  Malcolm was named Scottish Songwriter of the Year in 2004, the same year Old Blind Dogs received the Scottish Folk Band of the Year award from the Scots Trad Music Society.  He has twice performed for Prince Charles at the Palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh, and is one of the best loved voices in contemporary Scottish music, where he has been dubbed: "The new male voice of Scotland."

Drawing from his native upbringing in the Angus and Perthshire regions of Scotland, Malcolm’s rich baritone is complimented by masterful fingerstyle Celtic guitar and his amazing talent with the harmonica.  Recognized as one of Scotland’s leading harmonica players, Malcolm weaves pipe tunes and haunting melodies evocative of the  bagpipes into his deeply emotional songs.  Pulling from diverse sources; the works of Robert Burns, episodes of Scottish history, or his passion for fishing the lochs and rivers of his native country, his music is powerful and moving.  This is a unique experience for fans of Celtic music, and an opportunity to spend an evening with a true master of the genre. 

Emerald Rose is a high energy Celtic band hailing from Dahlonega.  They are regular performers at the Crimson Moon and have toured for the past twelve years across the US and in Ireland.  The band is best known as the headliners for the Lord of the Rings post-Oscar celebrations in Hollywood, and their original music has been used in movie soundtracks and on national television commercials. They are regular performers at Atlanta’s DragonCon, and perform at Celtic festivals and fantasy conventions all across America. 

The Starbridge Celtic Festival is a new heritage festival produced by Brian and Donna Sullivan, owners of the land. Starbridge is also the location for the annual HemlockFest, an environmental music festival to benefit hemlock research, put on by the Lumpkin Coalition.  The site features a five acre lake for swimming and fishing, surrounded by lush Georgia forest.  An assortment of food and craft vendors will gather at lakeside, and entertainment will be provided at the Celtic Coffeehouse, outside the 100 + year old cabin left by the earlier inhabitants of the land.  Scottish fighters from the SCA will present demonstrations of combat with cape and rapier.  Scottish food like haggis puffs and bridies will be available, along with more familiar American fare. Attendees might want to bring a blanket or lawn chair, as well as a swimsuit and sunscreen.  A Georgia fishing license is required to fish in the lake, and lifeguards will be on duty for swimmers during the day.

The festival starts at 1 pm on  July 19, at the Starbridge Festival grounds, on Starbridge Road, just off Highway 52 East, between Old Dahlonega Highway and Copper Mine Road.  Suggested donation to the Festival is $20 for adults, $10 for kids 6 – 15 and seniors, while kids 5 and under are free.  Contact the Starbridge Celtic Festival at 706 864-0882 or email them directly at donna@emeraldrose.com  for more information.

Emerald Rose will perform Saturday, March 29th at 8:00 PM at the Center Theatre. Seating is limited for this special event. For reservations visit snca.tix.com or call the Center Box Office at 706-878-3300. Tickets: $15 plus tax for members, $20 plus tax for non-members, $8 plus tax for kids ages 6-17, under 6 free.  The Center is located at 283 Ga Hwy 255 North  Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia 30571.