After facing significant financial losses due to bad weather last year, the Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival has been awarded a $75,000 state grant to ensure it returns to Bethlehem for the 36th time in 2024.
The event, which is billed as one of the largest Celtic festivals in North America, attracts tens of thousands of visitors to Bethlehem over the course of three days in late September.
“This $75,000 state grant ensures that the Celtic Classic, the largest free Celtic Festival in North America, will once again be a tremendous economic boon to the Lehigh Valley and our Commonwealth as over 180,000 patrons will come to the City of Bethlehem,” state Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-18) said in a statement. “We all remember last year when the torrential rains caused significant negative economic impact on The Celtic Classic, and this state funding will help ensure that it will continue to bring world class performers and athletes to the Lehigh Valley that can only be witnessed in Bethlehem.”
“This state grant is a critical component of CCA being able to hold the Celtic Classic and maintaining its unmatched quality of athletic competition and musical performances,” added Jayne Ann Recker, Executive Director of the Celtic Cultural Alliance, which presents the festival.
The Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival has been held annually in Bethlehem since 1988, with the exception of 2020, when it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Known for being a “Super Bowl” caliber event for highland athletes, it is not only unique to the Lehigh Valley, but also to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The Celtic Classic features the U.S. National Highland Games Championship, pipe band competitions, performances by Celtic musicians from around the world, cultural education performers, food and drink vendors, craftspeople and more. It is also an opportunity for local residents with Celtic ties to celebrate their shared heritage.
For more information about the Celtic Classic, visit CelticFest.org.
This local news story was reported with generative AI assistance.
