The Gathering

Queensland’s largest Celtic festival, The Gathering brings a rollicking celebration of Celtic music, culture, food and performance  to the Ipswich Turf Club on Sunday May 23.

Now in its 30th year, The Gathering honours Celtic heritage and traditions spanning from Scotland and Ireland to Wales, Cornwall and the Isle of Man in England and across to Brittany in France and the ancient regions of Gallaecia and Astures in Spain.

The fun family-friendly event has something for all ages, from workshops to learn the Welsh heritage of local Ipswich mining settlements to hands-on demonstrations of Spanish fencing and traditional dances and even joining the strong men and women for the Highland Games.

Highlights of the festival program include myriad musical and dance performances from traditional to folk-rock, Celtic flavours sourced from Scotland to Spain, historic re-enactments, clan activities and all the pomp and pageantry of the Highland Games.

In the spirit of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, festival-goers can witness the colour and ceremony of the Queensland Pipe Band Spectacular, featuring 250 pipe band competitors from around Australia, while the Main Stage will be headlined by Celtic folk-rock bands The Barleyshakes, The Jar, Limerick and The Ceilidh Clan with Ishka in the Ceilidh Centre.

For the rhythmically inclined, watch Morris folk dancers, learn the Highland Fling, or get hands-on with Celtic drumming and bagpipes workshops with the Greater Ipswich College of Piping and Drumming. Attendees can even sing a Celtic song on the Buskers’ Stage.

If you’re ‘game’, sample the offal-loaded national dish of Scotland, haggis, dig into a delicious bowl of Spanish paella and enjoy a hearty Irish stew at the variety of Celtic food stalls available on site, with scotch whisky available at the bar.

Other Celtic-flavoured activities include patting a ‘hairy coo’ aka a fluffy Highland cow or an Irish wolfhound, learning how to weave tartan and tossing a caber with the pros at the Highland Games.

And if you'd like to make a Celtic weekend of it, on Saturday you can take a Heritage Bus Tour of Blackstone with a stop for morning tea and a visit to the United Welsh Church. Departing from the Cooneana Heritage Centre at 11am, upon return, guests will be welcomed back by the City of Ipswich Pipe Band performing at the Cooneana Heritage Centre at 12.30pm.

On Saturday evening, take a tour (5pm and 7.30pm) of the haunted Ipswich Cemetery historic ghost tour site with an experienced tour guide, and hear some Celtic stories. And enjoy some local beverages from Ipswich's microbrewery The Pumpyard, while listening to Celtic Folk music from 7pm to 9pm.

And, for more great things to see and do in Ipswich, visit Discover Ipswich HERE.