Throngs of people are expected to converge on Historic Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Sept. 24-26, for the 23rd annual Celtic Classic. Presented by the nonprofit Celtic Cultural Alliance, the free event is a celebration of the Irish, Scottish and Welsh cultures and heritage.

Brian McNeil

The 2010 Celtic Classic will feature performances by Barleyjuice, Blackwater, Bua, Burning Bridget Cleary, Enter The Haggis, Ontario’s Glengarry Bhoys, The Jameson Sisters, Seamus Kennedy, Makem & Spain Brothers, Brian McNeil (The Scots songwriter and founding member of Battlefield Band), McPeake, The Outside Track, The Red Hot Chili Pipers (who close out the festivities on Sunday night with a mix of traditional pipe tunes and contemporary anthems), Timlin & Kane, and Robert Watt, Lee Lawson & Mark Wilson. Other musical attractions during the weekend include The Celtic Classic Invitational Pipe Band Competition and fiddle and drum major competitions. Irish and Highland dancers also will take part in the festivities.

The Celtic Classic also features North America’s largest highland games. The U.S. National Highland Athletic Championships will include the lifting of heavy stone, throwing a 22-pound hammer, and tossing of the caber. Border collie exhibitions, a “Showing of the Tartan” parade, a haggis eating contest, and a Celtic marketplace featuring crafts, merchandise and collectibles also are on tap. A Kids Craft Tent will be in operation on Saturday and Sunday, as will a new family-oriented Celtic Crossroads featuring theatre, dance, painting and film.

The festival grounds are located along the banks of Monocracy Creek and adjacent to downtown Bethlehem’s Main Street shopping area. Hours for the Celtic Classic are 4 to 11 p.m. on Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, and 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. For more information on one of the most popular events in the northeastern Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, visit www.celticfest.org.