Dayton Celtic Festival this weekend

How to go

Pull out your kilt and get ready for some Irish dancing, bagpipe music and lots of beer.

It’s time for the eighth annual Dayton Celtic Festival at RiverScape MetroPark, beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, July 24.

The three-day festival will feature both traditional and contemporary Celtic music on three stages.

Headlining bands include Slide, Blackthorn, Gaelic Storm and Scythian.

The Celtic Academy of Irish Dance, McGovern Ceili Dancers and Royal Scottish Country Dancers will perform several times over the weekend.

Historical exhibits and skits will depict the lives of immigrants living in an 18th century Scottish camp with cooking, crafts and sword-fighting demonstrations.

You can discover your own Scottish ancestry — if you’re lucky — with the St. Andrew Society.

Workshops will be offered on Celtic art, crafts and music.

At 10 a.m. Sunday, a Gaelic Mass will be offered by Father Naos McCool at the Guinness Stage.

Children will be kept busy at the Rainbow’s End children’s area, creating fairy houses, making crafts and playing games.

Children also will want to venture to the “Family Fun Zone” — sponsored by Dayton’s CW — which features a Smallville Climbing Wall, One Tree Hill Basketball Shootout and other games from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The children’s parade kicks off at noon Saturday.

A 5K run/walk for all ages will start at 6 p.m. Saturday and will run mostly along the Greater Miami River Recreation Trail. (Registration for this event is closed.)

Food and ethnic merchandise will be for sale all weekend long, along with authentic Irish beer.

For a complete schedule of events and more information, visit www.unitedirishofdayton.org .