Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day — especially when it comes to the kissing (and drinking) part. And, in Durango, everyone’s Irish (or Scottish or Welsh) during the 2017 Durango Celtic Festival, now celebrating its fifth year.

The Durango Celtic Festival runs from March 9-12, and the three-day fete delivers performances by some of the best Celtic bands and musicians in the world. This year’s lineup features concerts by award-winning bands that include Solas, Colcannon, Barrule and Goitse — a quintet that learned the art of Irish Traditional music at Limerick University’s Irish World Academy of Music and Dance — as well as workshops and dance performances.

Thursday, March 9

Festivities kick off Thursday, March 9, with an opening concert by Solas at the Henry Strater Theatre.

Friday, March 10

On Friday, Kitchen Jam Band and Patrick Crossing will perform in the afternoon at Henry Strater Theatre, followed by an evening concert by Aurora, Colorado-based group Colcannon. Goitse will put on a late-night romp at the Irish Embassy Pub.

Saturday, March 11

Saturday is the big day, both for listening to music and for learning how to play it (or play it better). The day is jam-packed with workshops on harp, accordion, bodhran (an Irish frame drum), bouzouki (a type of Greek guitar), Irish fiddle, Irish flute, Irish dancing and Gaelic singing.

Saturday is also filled with concerts and performances. The Saturday afternoon concert series at the Henry Strater Theatre starts with the Coleman Academy Dancers followed by the Singing Pilgrims and a concert by Barrule, and the evening concert features Goitse.

Saturday afternoon at the Irish Embassy Pub, visitors can enjoy a full lineup of performances by the Next Generation Fiddlers, Coleman Academy Dancers along with workshops, and a late-night concert with Barrule.

Sunday, March 12

The festival wraps up Sunday afternoon with an open session upstairs at the Irish Embassy Pub.

Because the festival has sold out the past two years, it’s probably a good idea to buy your weekend passes in advance! And it’s also a good idea to book your hotel room at the Durango Quality Inn in advance. Stay with us at the Quality Inn Durango, one of the top-rated Durango hotels.