JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Upper East Tennessee Celtic Festival is taking place this Labor Day weekend at the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site.
The community has the chance to learn about Celtic heritage and its ties to the Tri-Cities region during the festival on Saturday and Sunday.
The Appalachian Highland Celts organized and hosted the event, and member Ryan Sye said many people in this region have Celtic ancestry and may not even know it.
“Our main goal is to spread culture and teach people where they came from because history is so important nowadays,” he said. “It’s all about knowing where you came from, and about 1 in every 6 people here in the Southeast can trace their roots back to Ireland or Scotland.”
The weekend’s activities include bagpipe music, sword fighting lessons and demos, traditional Celtic sports, craft vendors and a Scottish worship service on Sunday morning at 10 a.m.
The Upper East Tennessee Celtic Festival continues on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Tipton-Haynes Site in Johnson City.
