Now that the Yachats City Council has voted to open the Commons, the popular Yachats Celtic Festival looks to be a “go” for November.
Cancelled last year and on hold for months due to the pandemic, the festival couldn’t move ahead with any certainty until organizers knew they could fill the multipurpose room in the Commons for the festival’s main concert night.
Last week, the Yachats City Council approved opening the building for all public use July 1, provided that Gov. Kate Brown has lifted coronavirus restrictions once Oregon hits a 70 percent vaccination rate.
When the 2020 event was cancelled, music director Stephen Farish said there was no way the festival could support itself financially unless it was able to fill the multipurpose room to its 250 person capacity for the main event Saturday night. And the room couldn’t be filled unless social distancing guidelines were lifted.
Once it was told of the council’s decision, the board of Polly Plumb Productions, which produces the festival, began planning the Nov. 12-14 event.
“… yes, the festival is back to full tilt planning mode,” Farish told YachatsNews. “Tickets should be on sale within the month.”
Farish said they “lost a few bands, who were already booked” to COVID-related travel issues because they were coming from outside the U.S.
Last year would have been the 20th annual performance for the festival, which has grown to include high-level Celtic performers from across North America. In addition to its singers and musicians, the event has also offered food, whiskey tastings, and workshops and become a key attraction of the fall cultural/tourism season in Yachats.
A major production, the festival draws on the time and effort of dozens of volunteers, and months of work by Farish. Under his guidance, the festival has flourished to attract headliners playing music rooted in Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
— Cheryl Romano
