updated 2025/08/27
Events in the local area
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Lessons or
Recurring Events.
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| Sep 5 at 8 pm – The Pogues – Rum Sodomy & the Lash Lincoln Theater 1215 U Street NW Washington, DC |
| Sep 6 – Oct 12 – Ceilidh (a new musical) (new) M&T Bank Exchange 401 W Fayette Street Baltimore, MD As the story of Ceilidh unfolds around you, you’ll be swept into a whirlwind of lively Scottish dances |
| Sep 8 at 8 pm – Skerryvore Rams Head On Stage 33 West Street Annapolis, Maryland 21401 With a mix of bagpipes, fiddles, accordions, and whistles, alongside guitar and vocals, underpinned by driving bass, drums and keys, Skerryvore represent the best in contemporary Scottish traditional music. |
| Sep 8 at 6:30 pm – Hope and History: The Poetry of Seamus Heaney (lecture) (new) Smithsonian Associates online – Zoom |
| Sep 11 at 7 pm – BIMS: Lane to the Glen (new) Green Room at the Bluebird Cocktail Room 3602 Hickory Avenue Baltimore, MD Daithi Gormley, Oisín Mac Diarmada & Samantha Harvey |
| Sep 12 at 7 pm – Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira (new) The Lyceum 201 South Washington Street Alexandria, VA a dynamic fiddle and cello duo with a compelling blend of traditional and contemporary styles |
| Sep 13 at 7 pm – Charlie Zahn (new) St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church 8531 Riverside Road Alexandria, VA Charlie has become one of the most successful performers on the Celtic festival circuit, weaving magical moments of Scottish and Irish history for the listener and viewer |
| Sep 17 at 7:30 pm – Baltimore Folk Club: Barbineau & Chartrand (new) Green Room at the Bluebird Cocktail Room 3602 Hickory Avenue Baltimore, MD |
| Sep 19 at 7 pm – Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira Barns of Rose Hill 95 Chalmers Court Berryville, VA a dynamic fiddle and cello duo with a compelling blend of traditional and contemporary styles |
| Sep 20 at 7:30 pm – The Wellerman – Tour Tales USA (cancelled) The Birchmere |
| Sep 29 at 5:30 pm – The Book of Kells: The Flowering of Celtic Art (lecture) (new) Smithsonian Associates online – Zoom |
| Sep 30 at 7:30 pm – A Taste of Ireland – The Irish Music & Dance Sensation (new) Jim Rouse Theatre and Performing Arts Center 5460 Trumpeter Road Columbia, MD Watch world-class performers blend melodic folk mash-ups, live jaw-dropping acapella tap battles and heartwarming story telling |
Oct 1 at 8 pm – Talisk and Gardiner Brothers presents: Unleashed The Hamilton Live 600 14th Street NW Washington, DC a thrilling collision of sound and movement in UNLEASHED, featuring the award-winning Scottish folk band Talisk and the world-famous Gardiner Brothers, viral Irish dance sensations |
| Oct 4 at 12 pm – The Irish Breakfast Band joined by the Boyle School of Irish Dance (new) Art on the Avenue in Del Ray City Stage Mt. Vernon Ave. Alexandria, VA. |
| Oct 10-18 – Celtic Colours International Festival various locations around Cape Breton, NS, Canada |
| Oct 6 at 7:30 pm – IMT presents Tannahill Weavers (new) Saint Mark Presbyterian Church 10701 Old Georgetown Rd Rockville, MD |
| Oct 10 at 7:30 pm – Runa (new) Weinberg Center for the Arts 20 West Patrick Street Frederick, MD Praised as one of the most innovative Irish folk groups of their generation, RUNA is known for their lush vocal harmonies, virtuosic instrumentals, and electrifying live performances. |
| Oct 19 – FSGW Washington Folk Festival (new) Glen Echo Park 7300 Macarthur Blvd Glen Echo, MD FREE with donations welcome |
| Oct 19-25 – Glin Trad Week (new) Glin, Co. Limerick, Ireland A week of Traditional Irish Music in Glin, County Limerick, in Honor and Memory of Brendan and Martin Mulvihill. Concerts, workshops, ceilis, and more |
| Oct 24 at 7 pm – IMT presents Ensemble Galilei (new) St. Margaret’s Church 1601 Pleasant Plains Rd Annapolis, MD |
| Oct 26 at 3 pm – IMT presents Ensemble Galilei (new) The Barn House 1730 Crownsville Rd Annapolis, MD |
| Oct 27 at 7:30 pm – IMT presents Ensemble Galilei (new) Saint Mark Presbyterian Church 10701 Old Georgetown Road Rockville, MD put five, brilliant and collaborative musicians in a room, empower them equally, and then set them free. |
| Oct 31 – Nov 2 – GWCC Fling Weekend Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza Silver Spring, MD A whole weekend of set dance: 3 workshops, 2 ceilis, and with Padraig and Roisin teaching sets. |
| Nov 5 at 1:30 pm – Abbie Palmer and Lucas Ashby Hylton Performing Arts Center George Mason University 10960 George Mason Cir Manassas, VA D.C.-based harpist and singer-songwriter Abbie Palmer presents a Matinee Idylls performance ranging in genres from traditional Celtic and African to New Age and Hip-Hop. |
| Nov 6 at 7:30 pm – Jesse & Kevin (new) Mansion at Strathmore 10701 Rockville Pike North Bethesda, MD a collaboration showcasing world-class talent in Scottish and Irish traditional music. |
| Nov 7-9 – Maryland Irish Festival (new) Maryland State Fairgrounds Cow Palace 2200 York Rd. LuthervilleTimonium, MD |
| Nov 6-23 – Solus Nua presents: Lie Low (a play) (new) Atlas Performing Arts Center – Lab 2 1333 H St NE Washington, DC Ciara Elizabeth Smyth is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter from Dublin whose work has won praise for its dark humour and experimental approach to form. |
| Nov 14-15 – The Fourth Annual Irish Tenor Banjo Summit (new) Creative Alliance 3134 Eastern Ave Baltimore, MD Friday night we’ll have an instructor concert and on Saturday night there will be an Irish social dance, or ceili, with a world-class ceili band |
| Nov 25-30 – Shamrock Tenors: Christmas in Belfast The Kennedy Center 2700 F St., NW Washington, DC this groundbreaking group brings a fresh energy to Irish music |
| Dec 6 and 7 at 4 pm – Dumbarton Concerts: A Celtic Christmas (new) Dumbarton Arts & Education 3133 Dumbarton Street NW Washington, DC our Celtic holiday celebration returns for another year of nostalgic poetry and music. Book well in advance for this perennially sold-out festive occasion! |
| Dec 8 at 7 pm – Lúnasa: Irish Solstice Celebration Barns of Rose Hill 95 Chalmers Court Berryville, VA one of Ireland’s most beloved traditional bands, joined by special guest vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Dave Curley |
| Dec 11 at 8 pm – Sean Healey’s Celtic Christmas (new) Strathmore – The Music Center 5301 Tuckerman Lane North Bethesda, MD This festive program blends ancient Gaelic carols, lively Irish tunes, familiar holiday melodies, and vibrant rhythms from Galicia and Brittany |
| Dec 11-28 – play An Irish Carol (new) The Keegan Theatre 1742 Church St. NW Washington, DC An original work by Keegan favorite Matthew J. Keenan, it is an homage to Dickens’ classic – told as only the Irish can. A comic and touching play set in a modern Dublin pub. |
| Dec 16 at 7:30 pm – John Doyle and Mick McAuley – An Irish Christmas at the Historic Lyceum The Lyceum 201 South Washington Street Alexandria, VA Doyle’s powerhouse rhythmic guitar sound along with McAuley’s virtuosic instrumental skills make for driving tune sets from this pairing. |
| Dec 19 at 7 pm – Cassie and Maggie (new) Blackrock Center for the Arts 12901 Town Commons Drive Germantown, MD Born to a family of deep Nova Scotia roots and a rich musical history, the two have been enchanting audiences around the world with their unparalleled unity of strings, voices and fabulous percussive step dance |
| Dec 20 at 2 and 7:30 pm – Irish Christmas in America (new) Weinberg Center for the Arts 20 West Patrick St. Frederick, MD Featuring some of the Emerald Isle’s finest traditional performers, the show blends vibrant tunes, soulful ballads, and spirited step dancing |
| Dec 21 at 2 pm – Eileen Ivers Joyful Christmas. (new) Weinberg Center for the Arts 20 West Patrick St. Frederick, MD Filled with warmth, wit, and a rich tapestry of instruments and voices, this festive performance captures the magic of the holidays through the lens of Celtic tradition. |
| Jan 1 at 4 pm – GWCC New Year’s Day Ceili (new) The Lyceum 17801 Meeting House Road Sandy Spring, MD hold your celebration until New Year’s Day and enjoy dancing traditional country sets to a fabulous band of local traditional Irish musicians |
| Jan 31 at 4:30 and 7:30 pm – The Ken and Brad Kolodner Quartet Manor Mill 2029 Monkton Road Monkton, MD one of the most influential hammered dulcimer players in the U.S., Baltimore’s Ken Kolodner has joined forces with his son, Brad Kolodner, one of the finest practitioners of the claw hammer banjo |
| Mar 8 at 4 pm – Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy and The Celtic All Stars Hylton Performing Arts Center George Mason University 10960 George Mason Cir Manassas, VA There are performances here that will raise you up and performances that will leave you misty-eyed |
| Mar 13 at 7:30 pm – Cécilia (new) Weinberg Center for the Arts 20 West Patrick St. Frederick, MD a powerhouse trio of Canadian musicians known for their traditional Celtic and Québécois music that brings the best of many musical worlds together |
| Mar 14 at 7 pm – Teelin Irish: Step Dance (new) Weinberg Center for the Arts 20 West Patrick St. Frederick, MD this production showcases both traditional steps and innovative choreography |
| Mar 15 at 4 pm – Sean Heely’s Celtic Band (new) Resurrection Catholic Church 3315 Greencastle Rd. Burtonsville, MD Featuring Champion Fiddler and Gaelic Singer Seán Heely, All-Ireland Men’s singing champion and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Elam, percussive dancer Agi Kovacs, acclaimed cellist Ellen Gira, and Brazilian-born percussionist Lucas Ashby. |
| Mar 20 at 8 pm – Danú Center for the Arts George Mason University 4373 Mason Pond Dr Fairfax, VA One of today’s leading traditional Irish ensembles Danú takes audiences on a musical journey to the group’s native Ireland through stirring ancient music and vibrant new repertoire. |