St. Augustine, Florida was founded in 1565 by Celtic colonists from northern Spain, and on March 17 of 1600 and 1601 our colonial Irish vicar led St. Patrick celebrations here. America’s oldest Celtic City welcomes back the St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival. The festival is North Florida’s premier celebration of everything Celtic and offers music, athletics, food, and cultural activities. The festival kicks off Saturday March 8 with the world’s oldest St. Patrick Parade (www.celticstaugustine.com/parade/), proudly marching through the streets of St. Augustine since 1601.
The St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival will be held on March 8 and March 9, 2025, at Francis Field in beautiful downtown St. Augustine, Florida, USA. Winner of nearly 20 “Best of” awards, the two-day festival features eight top International and U.S. Celtic bands (www.celticstaugustine.com/performer-bios/), including Albannach, Seven Nations, Syr, Dublin City Ramblers, and much more. See amazing feats of strength at the Highland Games, explore workshops, lectures, food offerings, and activities for the wee ones. And enjoy a soft-opening Whiskey and Scotch seminar and tasting on Friday March 7.
“We started our first Celtic festival in 2011, but St. Augustine was founded in 1565 by Spanish Celts from our sister city, Aviles in Spain, and on March 17 of 1600 and 1601 colonial Irish vicar Ricardo Artur (Richard Arthur) led the New World’s first St. Patrick celebrations here!” says Albert Syeles, Romanza-St. Augustine’s President. “It’s a testament to our community, loyal attendees, volunteers, businesses, our board, and a stellar selection of some of the best Celtic musicians in the world. The continued support has allowed us to make each year even better.” The St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival is produced by Romanza–St. Augustine and is funded in part by St. Johns County Tourist Development Council and St. Johns Cultural Council.
Learn more at; www.celticstaugustine.com and follow along on Facebook @CelticStAugustineMusicFest and Instagram @CelticFestStAug.