In-person at the Celtic Junction Arts Center in St. Paul and streaming live online.
Admission is available to purchase at the Gate today, as well as online. Free admission for 18 years old and under.
Join the Minnesota Scottish Fair for a hybrid in-person and online celebration and fundraising event! You can make a donation directly to Minnesota Scottish Fairhere.Tickets to the Scottish Fair Sampler event are near the bottom of this page.
From 12pm-10pm, join us for an in-person event at the Celtic Junction’s outdoor stage! The afternoon will be booked with live events featuring local musicians and performers followed by an evening of Ceilidh dancing with The Gunn Slingers. All afternoon events will also be streamed online. Come out to enjoy all things Scottish for a day and support the Scottish Fair!
Music by the Brian Boru Pipe Band, Stephanie Claussen, Laura Mackenzie with Dáithí Sproule & Ross Sutter, Eira, Dick Hensold, The Northerly Gales, and The Gunn Slingers. Dance performances by Minnesota Scottish Celtic Dance and Fligmagaerie Scottish Step Dancers.
Food, bar, and Scottish vendors on site!
Celtic Junction is proud to sponsor the Minnesota Scottish Fair Sampler. All proceeds support the Minnesota Scottish Fair and Highland Games.
Eira @ 12:45 pm
Eira (pronounced “era” in North America) performs music from Scotland, Ireland, Newfoundland, Canada, Wales, China, Scandinavia and the U.S. Repertoire includes traditional, contemporary, and original songs and tunes sung in English, Gaelic, Irish, Welsh, Chinese, and more, played on fiddle, erhu, guitars, bodhrán, bouzouki, mandolin, button accordion, and whistles.
Eira will be followed by Highland Dancing!
Stephanie Claussen @ 2 pm
2018 US National Scottish Harp Champion Stephanie Claussen is a performer, harp teacher, and arranger. She performs her own mixture of Scottish tunes, J.S. Bach, Debussy, and anything that sounds medieval or French. At the age of twelve she won first place in the Macalester Scottish Country Harp Competition in St. Paul and was named “Most Promising Harpist.” Claussen obtained her B.M. in harp performance from the University of Minnesota under the instruction of Kathy Kienzle, principal harpist of the Minnesota Orchestra. Claussen visited Scotland for the first time in 2018 to attend the Edinburgh International Harp Festival.
Dick Hensold and Victor Zupanc @ 3 pm
A new duo that features entirely music for Highland bagpipes and keyboards, with Victor Zupanc, composer, music director for the Children’s Theater company, and fantastic keyboardist. This program will use a variety of styles and sounds from the keyboards, featuring pipes and organ arrangements and classics, Cape Breton piano backup, quasi-trad-rock sounds, harp & string accompaniments, etc. It’s pretty fun!
The Northerly Gales @ 4 pm
With soaring melodies and driving rhythms, TNG puts their own high-energy spin on Celtic Folk and Americana. Innovating and original in their own ways, while respecting the traditions that have borne this music through the years. They compose, they arrange, and they put on a rocking show. Whether you’re looking to tap your feet, forget your troubles, or just share a pint over some great tunes, look no further than The Northerly Gales.
MacKenzie, Sproule & Sutter @ 5 pm
Ross Sutter and Laura MacKenzie have been singing and playing Scottish music together for eons. Often known as “Ross & MacKenzie”, they have enjoyed being on-stage at many a Scottish Fair, Scottish Ramble, and Burns Supper around the region. Their friend and colleague Dáithí Sproule has joined them individually for tours, local performances, and studio recordings, and as a trio they have also made the rounds. They are delighted to bring music and song to the Minnesota Scottish Fair Sampler 2021. Ross: vocals, guitar, bodhran; Dáithí: guitar, vocals; Laura: vocals, wooden flutes, whistles, concertina, Scottish smallpipes.
Brian Boru Pipe Band @ 5:50 pm
Founded in 1962 by four enthusiastic young pipers, the band can claim more than 100 members through the years. Its mission is to encourage and support the preservation of the Irish arts of piping, drumming, and dancing. Members of the Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band have performed with national acts including the Chieftains, Green Day, Blink-182, and more.
The Gunn Slingers @ 6:30 pm
Total Scottish ceilidh funk in its wildest form! Formed by Scottish Accordionist Neil Gunn, The Gunn Slingers play a mix of traditional Scottish tunes with hard groove and high energy to create a night of dancing and craic you will never forget.
