Photographers Stop, Snap and Shop at the Celtic Festival

Robert Thoresen

PCQC members took on the Tucson Celtic Festival on October 1. The gathering is a celebration of Celtic culture, traditions, piping, drumming and all other things conceived to be Celtic. Clans set up their own tents to illustrate and preserve their history. Village Shoppes sell Celtic merchandise. Dining and relaxation can be provided at the Village Pub (with a special assortment of ales, beers, wines and single malt scotch). Border collie demonstrations are also going on during the Celtic ruckus.

Today, over 11,000,000 Americans claim Scottish and Scotch-Irish roots, the eighth largest ethnic group in the United States. That seems a good enough reason to put on such a festival. Besides this three day event, Tucson also puts on a National Tartan Day in April, the date of the Declaration of Arboath in 1320 (officially April 4). That event declared Scottish independence in the form of a letter to Pope John XXII confirming Scotland as an independent and sovereign state not to be controlled as feudal lands of England’s Norman Kings. National Tartan Day is scheduled to be held at The Many Hands Courtyard, 3054 North First Avenue on April 4, 2015. Smaller in scale than the November festival, it should be noted that it will provide whiskey tasting and if you can somehow imagine, Celtic belly dancing.

The Celtic Festival and the National Tartan Day are supported by the National Association of Scottish Games. Arizona is only one of four states in the West to have the games (others are in Oregon, New Mexico and Colorado). Tucson’s Celtic Festival is held at Rillito Race Park, 4502 North First Avenue (south of East River Road). Next year’s festival will run November 6-8th.

For Quail Creekers who follow the ponies, Rillito Park Race Track’s season lasts the months of January to February with live racing scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Photography Club of Quail Creek (PCQC) is a chartered club designed for residents of all levels of photographic skill. For current events and details of club activities visit the club’s website at http://www.pcqc.org. Due to the growth in club membership, monthly meetings will continue throughout the year on the second Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Madera Club House. Room assignment will vary. Also consult the weekly “What’s Happening.”