BELFAST — The seventh annual Maine Celtic Celebration will take place the weekend of Friday, July 19 to Sunday, July 21 on the Belfast Common and Steamboat Landing. A family-oriented celebration of the rich Celtic heritage, culture and hospitality found along the coast of Maine, the Maine Celtic Celebration features something for everyone to watch or participate in, including music, dancing, athletic competitions and games, as well as food and craft vendors.

Festivities will commence the evening of Friday, July 19 with an opening showcase concert presented on the Steamboat Landing Stage starting at 6 p.m. New to this year's event, the show will feature traditional music from both coasts when Portland east meets Portland west, offering guests a taste of what's to come over the weekend from Hans Araki and the Mighty Few, The Press Gang, and Naia.

This year's musical line-up combines international and local performers, presenting both traditional and modern Celtic music and dancing. New to the celebration this year are The Galley Rats, a Maine-based pub band specializing in Celtic/Canadian/Classic Rock music, heavily inspired by Great Big Sea, Stan Rogers, and Gaelic Storm. The High Ground is a young local duet of fiddle and cello offering Scottish music in the tradition of Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas. Velocipede brings together Julia Plumb on fiddle and foot percussion with Baron Collins-Hill on mandolin and guitar to present a smorgasbord of tunes from Scandinavia, Quebec, New England and Appalachia. Julia and Baron began playing together at the Maine Fiddle Camp in 2008 and haven't stopped since. New on the dance floor is Vermont's premier Scottish dance troupe, Heather Morris's Celtic Company.

Returning favorites include Vishten, a trio including the twin sisters Emmanuelle and Pastelle LeBlanc from Prince Edward Island and Pascal Miousse from the Magdelen Islands. Vishten performs new and traditional Acadian music. Another old friend is Michael Black, of Ireland's famous Black family. Black presents a fusion of contemporary and traditional material ranging from beautiful ballads to boisterous shanties. Back for a third year, Hans Araki and the Mighty Few combine Araki's mastery of the Irish flute with Kathryn Claire's charismatic fiddling, and Cary Novotny's extraordinary guitar work. The Press Gang, a Portland-based trio, is bringing back their "new music in the Irish tradition." Also from Portland, Naia is comprised of harpist Danielle Paus and flutist Nicole Rabata, and features traditional Celtic music from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany and Quebec along with their own traditionally-inspired compositions.

In addition to performing, several of the musicians will offer workshops at the Boathouse including: bodrhan (Irish frame drum) with master drum maker Albert Alfonso; Irish whistle and flute with Hans Araki; Uilleann Pipes with Cillian Vallely, one of the best Irish pipers in the world; Irish fiddle with Nikki Engstrom of Stanley and Grimm; and step dancing with members of Vermont's Celtic Company. Jam sessions are likely to pop up to close each day of workshops, so that participants can show off their new musical skills as well.

For those more interested in testing their physical skills, the Maine Celtic Celebration offers a variety of fun and games in the Celtic tradition. The games begin with the Kilted Canter 5K Road Race — "where the pleats meet the streets." This year's race through historic Belfast neighborhoods is sponsored by the Belfast Rotary Club. It will take place on Saturday at 9 a.m., departing from Belfast Area High School. There are race categories for all ages with prizes donated by generous sponsors. Registration is $20 through the website Active.com, or at 8 a.m. the morning of the race.

Saturday also offers a chance for dogs to get into the act with an opening parade through the celebration site on Saturday morning at 9 a.m., immediately followed by a show and tell about Celtic dog breeds at the Celtic Breeds Dog Show on the Steamboat Stage until 11 a.m. Children can participate in a series of "Not So Heavy Games" like the Wellington Boot Toss, the Molly Malone Wheelbarrow Race, and Isle of Mann Three-Legged Race throughout the two days of the event. Prizes will be awarded thanks to generous donations from local businesses and celebration vendors.

Those interested in learning the quintessential Celtic sport of rugby can join rugby coach Bob Weggler at Steamboat Landing on Saturday at 5 p.m. for a series of rookie rugby activities in honor of the Celtic Celebration. All ages are welcome and no experience is necessary. Participants are asked to simply bring interest, enthusiasm, and good foot wear.

On Sunday, the games get heavy – with the official Highland Heavy Games, sponsored by athenahealth, starting at 8:30 a.m. at Steamboat Landing. Still being held each year in Scotland and many other countries, the traditional Highland Heavy Games go all the way back to the 11th century and possibly even before that in the Scottish Highlands. The same games, under the same rules, will be played once again by a number of athletes, both local and from points beyond. Registration begins at 7 a.m. Sunday morning, and anyone is welcome to join the Highland Heavy Games competition for a $10 entry fee. Events include the Maine Championship Scottish Hammer Throw, Caber Toss, Open Stone Put, Heavy Weight Throw, and Weight Over the Bar. Different weight classes are offered for men and women in each event.

Not quite up to "heavy" games? Then, you might consider entering The New World Cheese Roll Championships at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Cheese rolling enjoys a disputed history going back to at least the 1800s in the U.K. The New World Cheese Roll begins with a three-pound wheel of cheese being rolled down the slope on Belfast Common toward the bay. This year the roll categories have been expanded, and ten groups will race to catch up with and grab the cheese wheel. The one winner in each group who finally grabs the wheel gets to keep the cheese. Cathe Morrill, sponsoring owner of State of Maine Cheese Company in Rockport, notes that "each wheel is composed of three full pounds of our customers' favorite kind of cheese, creamy cheddar". Cheese roll contestants 18 years old and under are asked to register with an adult at the celebration store before the event begins.

Of course, no outdoor festival would be complete without food, crafts, and fireworks, and the Maine Celtic Celebration will include all three. Food vendors will provide traditional treats like BBQ, fish & chips, subs and sandwiches, beer, smoothies, and ice cream (sorry, no haggis!). Craft vendors will offer items such as clothing, jewelry, books, toys, and Celtic gifts. Finally, Belfast's only fireworks display of the summer will be held over the harbor at about 9:20 p.m. on Saturday.

This entire weekend of music, games, food, and fun is brought to you by the all-volunteer work of the Maine Celtic Celebration Committee. It takes all year and almost $50,000 to put together the annual celebration, and it could not be done without the generous support of the sponsors, donors, and all of the participants. This year, "donation tables" will again be set up at the major entrance points to the celebration site. Since there is no cost to attend the weekend celebration, a suggested donation of $10 per day is encouraged to help ensure the future of this premier summer event in Belfast.

For more information about the musical performances, the Kilted Canter 5K Road Race, the Highland Heavy Games, The New World Cheese Roll Championships, and all of the weekend's events and activities, visit mainecelticcelebration.com.

Event Location: Belfast Common and Steamboat Landing