How an Irish Festival Reminded Me Why I Love The Bay

Last weekend, the team behind the much beloved Dicken’s Faire put on a new festival called Céilí on the Lake. Centered around Irish Dancing and Irish music, Céilí on the Lake welcomed Spring and celebrated Beltane with great food, sweet kid-friendly activities, tons of live music, artisan-made crafts, and of course their own Dickens-esque Irish Pub.

Céilí on the Lake musicians – photo by Vita Hewitt.  ‘Beltane’ is the Gaelic May Day festival, marking the beginning of summer

This adorable little festival reminded me why I love it here – most especially why I love it here this time of year. Spring is here, Summer is right around the corner and there is a ton of fun ahead for all of us. Let’s break down the sweetness that was Céilí on the Lake.

Live Music All Around

I believe I’ve mentioned before that my dad is a traditional Irish musician, have I? Anyway, he participates in a session every Thursday night near Grass Valley and used to play in Marin when my parents lived there. Walking into Céilí on the Lake, I was immediately struck by how there were traditional Irish musicians peppered throughout the faire. For a fairly small festival, they had 4 stages, most of which had the lovely Duck Pond in the background.

Céilí on the Lake musicians – photo by Vita Hewitt

Gathering Community

In the center of the faire were two maypoles – a larger one that was already beautifully braided and then a smaller one just for kids to run around and knot ribbons up in a ball on the ground. Nearby other children were excitedly checking out a friendly group of sheep inside a fairly good-sized pen. Every so often, one of them would be plucked from the group and moved to a demonstration area so they could get a hair cut & a professional shearer would be answer questions from the crowd. Interesting fact: Sheep are typically sheared just twice a year. Interestingly, they aren’t usually fed just before shearing because food can make them more restless and difficult to shear.

But, beyond these adorable kid activities. The entire festival had little zones and free activities that seemed to draw curious attendees to learn more about Irish culture. For about an hour my friend and I learned all about Irish dance history. Soon after, we watched a glass blower show us how to make a small vase.

Céilí on the Lake sheep – photo by Vita Hewitt

Delicious Food 

One of my favorite parts of Dicken’s Faire is the yummy comfort food you can find throughout the event. When you walk into Ceili you immediately see a fully built-out Irish Pub with kitschy signs and tiny Irish details all over the building. There, you can grab yourself a pint and sit at one of the tables or walk around the faire in the sunshine as I did. There was also a Hopmonk beer truck on the other side of the festival. I loved seeing the Bay Area brewery represented, too!

For food, you could find traditional Irish comfort food like Shepard’s pie or skip lunch and go straight for dessert as we did. I savored a flaky apple turnover and some delightful Irish caramels, which I devoured in one sitting just hours after arriving home.

Céilí on the Lake Pub – photo by Vita Hewitt

Locally-made Art 

No surprise, there was a carefully curated group of artisans at the faire whose art was well-crafted. I picked up a Claddagh ring from a jeweler which I haven’t taken off since the event. I even met a friend of my Dad’s who sells and plays the Irish drum, Cormac Gannon, owner of Heartbeat Bodhran. We talked for a while about the Irish drum and he tried to teach me a thing or two. He said he’d be seeing my Dad at another Irish Festival up in Grass Valley this weekend, the KVMR Celtic Festival, and that he’d say hi for me. The sweet exchange reminded me of how The Bay Area is just a large web of amazing people.

Cormac Gannon playing the bodhran at Céilí on the Lake – photo by Katy Atchison

I truly hope that Céilí on the Lake comes back around next year. This first iteration of this event is a great foundation for an amazing little festival with fun for everyone. With its vibrant celebration of Irish culture, lively music, and delicious food, it was a delightful reminder of why I cherish this time of year in our little corner of the world.

More information about the festival can be found her:
Web: ceilionthelake.com
IG: @irishdanceandmusicfest

all photos in this article are by Vita Hewitt unless otherwise noted