Yearning for some merriment as summer kicks into gear? You’ll find it at the annual Celtic Fling & Highland Games at Mount Hope Estate & Winery on Saturday & Sunday, June 24-25, 2023. If you’ve never experienced this event, I encourage you to work it into your vacation schedule this year. The rollicking celebration is just a short and easy drive from the Historic Smithton Inn. On the 35-acre shire, you can enjoy traditional and modern Celtic music, mouth-watering Celtic cuisine, masterly brewed Swashbuckler ales, Mount Hope’s renowned wines, spirits and much more.
This blog is all about Celtic Fling
What to Expect at Celtic Fling 2023
Here’s a glimpse of the entertainment lineup, featuring the rich heritage of the Irish, Scots Welsh, Cornish, Manx, Bretons, and Galecians/Asturians, at this year’s Celtic Fling:
Musical performances (including Albannach and The Kilmaine Saints)
Competitions (including a Men in Kilts contest!)
Irish dancers
Celtic Pipe Bands
Clans and Celtic Societies
Sports demonstrations (including hurling)
Merchants with Celtic wares and crafts for sale
Celtic cuisine (including Scotch eggs, cheeses, mead, and more)
Plus there’s a Friday Night Concert on June 23rd to kick off the weekend’s fun and frivolity! The Friday music lineup includes Rovers Way (5:45PM-6:30PM), Rogue Diplomats (7:00PM-8:00PM) and Trials of Cato (8:30-10:00PM).
Celtic Fling is an Annual Event held at Mount Hope Estate, 2775 Lebanon Rd. Manheim, PA 17545
The parking lot is HUGE. Nothing to worry about on that front!
Irish Slang to Help You Fit In:
Here are TEN fun & useful Irish Slang phrases you can totally work into conversations during this fun event:
1. Acting the maggot
Meaning: An Irish term for fooling and messing around
Example: Stop acting the maggot or the bouncer will kick us out of Celtic Fling!
2. Bang on
Meaning: Right, accurate, correct
Example: You are bang on, this is the best Celtic Fling ever!
3. Craic
Meaning: Fun, gossip, goings-on. One of the most well-known Irish phrases.
Example: What’s/where’s the craic at this festival?
4. Deadly
Meaning: Brilliant, fantastic, great
Example: That was a deadly set by Scythian on Friday night!
5. Eff off
Meaning: Polite swear word (for the F word). Also used as an exclamation of disbelief.
Example: Ah, just eff off, will ya, the Kilmaine Saints are playing!
6. Fierce
Meaning: Very good, great, excellent
Example: It was a fierce performance by the Screaming Orphans in the Boarshead, right?!
7. Grand
Meaning: Many uses; most often used as a reply to ‘How are you?’, ‘How are you feeling?’, or being told of a decision. One of the most commons Irish expressions.
Example: We will meet you at the Chess Stage – “Grand”; Rovers Way starts playing in 10 minutes – “Grand”
8. Jacks
Meaning: Toilet
Example: I'm loving this Swashbuckler beer, I’m off to the jacks
9. Savage
Meaning: A common term for great, brilliant
Example: Celtic Fling was a savage till the end
10. Shattered
Meaning: Exhausted
Example: After a weekend of Celtic Fling, I was shattered
Spend the Weekend!
We hope you’ll decide to take part in this unbridled celebration of Celtic culture! And remember, if you’re looking for a comfy place for you and your visiting friends and family to stay while you’re in town that weekend, we’ll be happy to accommodate you in one of our 9 luxurious guest rooms or suites! Every suite has either a full kitchen or a kitchenette (fridge/freezer and microwave).
Each morning you'll kick off your day with a delicious homemade breakfast which is sure to fortify you for a day of Celtic-Fling-Fun!
When you come back from a full day of frolicking, our on-site wine bar, Weathered Vineyards Ephrata is open on Friday & Saturday nights until 8 pm serving up drinks, food & LIVE music!