Northeast Florida Scottish Games and Festival - Celtic Rock, Pipers and Palm Trees with Cuttin’ Brackin, Cleghorn and Albannach

The Northeast Florida Scottish Games and Festival is to be held on February 27, 2016.  It is one of the largest single day Scottish games held in the United Sates. Attendance in recent years has topped 30,000 and these numbers are typical of the surging popularity of Celtic cultural events in North America.

In a 2014 interview with Transceltic, the then President of the Games, Audie Gibson, emphasized that the goal of the Festival is to preserve and promote Scottish culture and to pass down to the younger and future generations a sense of their Celtic identity.

Held in the Clay County Fairgrounds in the suburbs of Jacksonville in Florida, the festival boasts a broad range of cultural activities.  The games include competitions in Scottish Athletics, Pipes and Drums, Highland Dance and the Scottish Fiddle.  In addition, there are an impressive number of activities including a demonstration by teams of Clydesdales, a Kilted Mile Race, Scottish Country Dancing, Traditional Scottish Music and Whiskey Tasting.

The entertainment at the 2016 Northeast Florida Scottish Games reflects the growing impact of Celtic Rock performers.  The lineup includes three successful bands from the Celtic Rock genre, Cuttin’ Brackin, Cleghorn, the internationally acclaimed Albannach with a performance by solo performer Ron Davis:    

Cuttin’ Brackin: This is a group described on the festival’s web page as a trio from Tallahassee, Florida that play traditional Scottish music.  The bands are comprised of Bagpiper Christian Dauble, Fiddler Aisha Ivey and Conner Bacon on Guitar.

Cleghorn: Cleghorn describe themselves as “America’s Celtic Rock Band” and originate in Dallas, Texas. The band is a family affair made up of renowned piper/fiddler/songwriter Dylan Cleghorn along with his father guitarist and song writer John Cleghorn who is a noted performer in his own right. The band is known for high energy tunes featuring the fiddle and pipes. Ryan Carpenter on Bass Guitar and Paul Muller on drums round out the band.

Albannach: Electrifying performers with a combustible combination of Pipes and Drums and a dominant presence on the Festival entertainment circuit, Albannach are performers who tour extensively in North America and Europe.  This band has an established fan base and is acknowledged to be a major draw by Festival organizers. Albannach's leader, Jamesie Johnston, views the band as Ambassadors of Celtic Culture and sees the growth of Celtic festivals in America as important in keeping the culture alive.  The band is based in Glasgow and all members were born in Scotland.   Marcille Wallis, President of Celtic Heritage Productions, a major organizer of Celtic Festivals in Florida and North Carolina, recently commented to Transceltic on the attraction of Albannach: “ Bands like Albannach….are great ambassadors for Scottish and Celtic music generally. They touch people because they, and their music, are approachable. They connect with listeners in performance, and they are also accessible to fans who want to talk more in depth about the music or about Celtic culture.”

NorthEast Florida Scottish Games & Festival

• When: February 27, 2016
• Where: Clay County Fairgrounds, Green Cove Springs, Florida
• Website: www.neflgames.com