The Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival is kicking off its 40^th anniversary, with a fantastic all-day spring concert. This April 23^rd event starts at noon and runs till 11 pm at the Estes Park fairgrounds event center, which is a new indoor venue located at 1209 Manford Ave. Your host for the day is comedian Bob Stromberg and will feature live music from authentic Celtic performers including Ashley MacIsaac, a native of Nova Scotia, fresh off his Ireland tour. The Young Dubliners, a versatile Irish band formed in the early 90s, The Tannahill Weavers, one of Scotland’s premier traditional bands and Colorado’s own, the Singing Pilgrims, three ladies with a unique signature sound.

Those seeking a true glimpse into Celtic culture can sample traditional food and drink including beers and ales, wines, scotch and British Isles spirits.

Ashley MacIsaac is, in a sense, the musical representative of the pre-millennial generation of Atlantic Canada. An ardent traditionalist ( and cousin of international Celtic performer Natalie MacMaster ) with a penchant, nevertheless, for experimentation, this young Nova Scotian native has been taught to play the fiddle the working-class, pub-stomp Cape Breton way: fast, furious, and with phenomenal precision.

Dublin natives Keith Roberts (vocals, guitar) and Paul O’Toole ( vocals, guitar, mandolin, harmonica ) formed the Young Dubliners in the early 1990s after meeting one another in a Los Angeles pub. Roberts had been tweaking son Irish ballads of his own and opted that a band would be in order. O’Toole obliged, as well as Brendan Holmes ( bass ).

The Tannahill Weavers are one of Scotland’s premier traditional bands. Their diverse repertoire spans the centuries with fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, original ballads and lullabies. Their music demonstrates to old and young alike the rich and varied musical heritage of the Celtic people.

Agressive and passionate fiddle tunes are the centerpiece of Colorado’s very own ”Singing Pilgrims” signature sound and all three ladies take a turn on the Celtic harp.

For over thirty years Bob Stomberg has been delighting audiences of all ages with his perfect blend of standup, story and shtick.  Always clean, his presentation is a disarming healthy blend of knee-slapping comedy and wholesome encouragement.

For more information and ticket pricing please visit www.scotfest.com or call 1-800-90estes. Options are available to customize your day for specific performances, or the best deal by far, the ALL DAY PASS!     Peggy Young