Cheyenne Celebrates Celtic Heritage

1st Annual Celtic Musical Arts Festival June 24 and 25

June 5, 2006 -Cheyenne, WY... The City of Cheyenne and The Historic Plains Hotel are honoring local Celtic heritage with the first-ever Cheyenne Celtic Musical Arts Festival featuring traditional and contemporary Irish and Scottish food, artisans, and entertainment to be held June 24 -25, 2006 at the Cheyenne Depot Plaza directly in front of Cheyenne’s historic Union Pacific depot beginning at 10:00 AM each day.

Jim and Mary Angell, of Cheyenne, WY, are the organizers of the 1st Annual Celtic Musical Arts Festival and serve as the committee chairpersons.  Early this year, they brought the idea to The Historic Plains Hotel sales members, Debbie Disney and Connie Lester.  "We thought their idea was brilliant!" said Debbie Disney, event co-organizer.  "There is truly a rich Celtic Heritage in Cheyenne that we want to recognize."

Irish jigs begin Saturday afternoon, June 24, with The Greenes, a Fort Collins trio featuring CSU professor David Greene and his two young sons.  Denver-based Canned Haggis follows with Scott Beach's traditional bagpipe sonnets.  

On Sunday afternoon, Parting Glass, a trio from Niwot, Colorado, performs an original blend of traditional styles with a decidedly Celtic flavor.  Each member has ancestral roots in the British Isles.  The finale is Cheyenne's own Musical Chairs performing upbeat traditional and contemporary Celtic music. The band's namesake is derived from the musicians physically swapping chairs or instruments during their performance.  

For out-of-towners, The Historic Plains Hotel is offering a special 2-night Celtic lodging package for couples in a luxurious parlor suite along with a hot breakfast for two each morning at the Capitol Grille for $189 plus tax.  Single night packages including a guest room and breakfast are also available for $99 plus tax.