BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 The Celtic Classic may not be dead after all.<\/p>\n
Less than two weeks after the Celtic Cultural Alliance announced it was disbanding, two of the Bethlehem festival\u2019s original founders are working to bring the nearly four-decade tradition back to life in 2027.<\/p>\n
And they\u2019re starting with a wake.<\/p>\n
Neville Gardner, owner of Donegal Square and McCarthy\u2019s Irish Pub in downtown Bethlehem, and fellow founder Jim Foley are organizing a fundraiser Saturday, Nov. 14, appropriately called \u201cAwaken the Celtic Classic.\u201d<\/p>\n
The centerpiece will be a bagpipe flash mob outside Donegal Square, with a theme inspired by the traditional Irish drinking song \u201cFinnegan\u2019s Wake.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of a little tongue-in-cheek. It\u2019s a wake for the festival, you know. And it\u2019s actually Jim\u2019s idea,\u201d Gardner said.<\/p>\n
The song tells the story of Tim Finnegan, a man believed to be dead who unexpectedly rises from his coffin during his own wake.<\/p>\n
For Gardner and Foley, it\u2019s an appropriate metaphor for a festival they\u2019re determined to revive.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were driving to the meeting with the mayor, and I said to Neville, \u2018You know what Celtic Classic means? They need a Finnegan\u2019s wake. Let\u2019s do one as a fundraiser,\u2019\u201d Foley recalled.<\/p>\n
The event will feature bagpipers and specially designed T-shirts depicting a man emerging from his coffin, a playful symbol of the festival\u2019s hoped-for resurrection.<\/p>\n
A tradition facing an uncertain future<\/p>\n
The revival effort follows the Celtic Cultural Alliance\u2019s Oct. 28 announcement that it would cease operations after 39 years.<\/p>\n
The nonprofit, which organized the Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival, cited mounting financial pressures, including rising operating costs, changing visitor spending habits, weather-related challenges, and the lingering financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
Despite continued strong attendance, the organization said those challenges made its operations financially unsustainable.<\/p>\n
Founded in 1988, the Celtic Classic grew into one of North America\u2019s largest free Celtic festivals, drawing visitors to Bethlehem for a weekend of music, dancing, Highland Games, food and cultural celebrations.<\/p>\n
Its impact extended beyond the annual September festival. The Celtic Cultural Alliance also supported educational programming, cultural events and scholarships promoting Celtic heritage.<\/p>\n
Gardner and Foley, however, believe the tradition can continue under a new organization.<\/p>\n
The two have launched an online fundraising campaign, with a goal of raising $100,000, and are working toward establishing a new nonprofit organization.<\/p>\n
They also acknowledge that any successful revival will require a different business model capable of sustaining the festival financially.<\/p>\n
Whether a future event would retain the Celtic Classic name or operate under a different identity remains uncertain.<\/p>\n
Keeping the tradition alive<\/p>\n
For longtime participants, the effort is about preserving more than a three-day festival.<\/p>\n
Beth Ritter Guth, who describes her heritage as Scottish, Irish and English, has been involved with the Celtic Classic throughout its 39-year history.<\/p>\n
A bagpiper herself, she is organizing Saturday afternoon\u2019s gathering outside Donegal Square.<\/p>\n
Guth hopes the event sends a message that the people who have supported the festival for decades are not ready to abandon it.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust raise awareness that we\u2019re not going anywhere,\u201d Guth said.<\/p>\n
She believes the tradition can survive even if the original festival cannot return in exactly the same form.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if we have to change the name, and have a new name or whatever, that a Celtic festival will happen in Bethlehem, and we will carry the tradition forward,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
That determination is shared by Gardner, who sees the effort as both a celebration of the festival\u2019s past and an opportunity to shape its future.<\/p>\n
\u201cCelebrating the 39 years, and looking toward the 40th year and going forward,\u201d Gardner said.<\/p>\n
The founders face significant challenges, from fundraising and organizing a new nonprofit to developing a financially sustainable festival.<\/p>\n
But Gardner is confident the event can return in 2027.<\/p>\n
Asked whether he realistically believes a revival can happen next year, he offered an unequivocal answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, we\u2019re going to make it happen,\u201d he responded.<\/p>\n
For now, the first step is Saturday\u2019s gathering, where the sounds of bagpipes and an Irish song about resurrection will accompany an unusual celebration of a cherished Bethlehem tradition.<\/p>\n
A wake is ordinarily an occasion to say goodbye.<\/p>\n
For those hoping to revive the Celtic Classic, this one is intended to be anything but.<\/p>\n
Event information: \u201cAwaken the Celtic Classic\u201d is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, Nov. 14, outside Donegal Square in downtown Bethlehem.<\/p>\n