The 11th annual Pipes in the Valley Celtic Music Festival at the Mortensen Riverfront Plaza in Hartford this Saturday, Sept. 28, promises a full day of Scottish meat pies, local micro-brews and good old fashioned bagpipe rock. Admission is free.
This year’s festival will be headlined by Scottish bagrockers The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, who recently released their new album titled “Breathe.”
After winning the United Kingdom talent TV show “When Will I Be Famous?” in 2007, the Chilli Pipers have gone platinum numerous times in Scotland and have become a global sensation. The band’s intense live performances have sold out shows from New York to Beijing, and their music has reintroduced the bagpipe to a younger generation.
“We try to get world-class acts from all over the world,” says Jason McClellan, festival coordinator and owner of Olde Burnside Brewing Company in East Hartford. McClellan is responsible for the entertainment and refreshments. “I’m in charge of all the fun stuff.”
Other musical performers include the Screaming Orphans from Ireland and the New England based Pubcrawlers. The festival also features some local flare in the form of Hartford’s own The Jolly Beggars and The Mighty Ploughboys from Danbury.
>>The Mortensen Riverfront Plaza is at 300 Columbus Blvd., Hartford. Saturday’s Pipes in the Valley Celtic Music Festival will run from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Information: 860-713-3131 or http://www.pipesinthevalley.com.