By: Jeff Meade

The first thing you need to know about the Celtic Winter Classic is that it will be as much like the late summer version of this popular event as possible—big-name performers, roving pipers, Irish and Scottish tchochkes for sale, Irish and highland dancers, and burly highland athletes.

The second thing you need to know is that there will absolutely not be a caber toss. The sight of one of those 18-foot, 100-pound poles flying through the air, flipping end over end and crashing to the ground, would give the operators of Lehigh University’s Stabler Arena a heart attack. Bouncing cabers, John Sweeney notes, are very bad for basketball courts.

Sweeney is the executive director of the Celtic Cultural Alliance, the organization that hosts the Celtic Classic, and many other educational activities throughout the year. And although the Celtic Classic—and, on February 2 and 3, the first Winter Classic—offers huge entertainment value, education is foremost in the organizers’ minds. That’s why, although there will be no airborne telephone poles inside Stabler, there likely will be at least one Highland event—the sheaf toss—and all the other paraphernalia of Highland athletics will be on display.

“We’ll probably do sheaf toss because that’s low impact on the floor,” says Sweeney. “It’s really a large part of our educational objective to get kids to come up and ask questions. We also have a lot of people who call or write and ask: How do I get started in Highland athletics? We’re looking at this as a clinic or a how-to.”

As for the rest, Sweeney and his fellow organizers hope, you won’t be able to tell much difference between the September bash and its mid-winter incarnation. “The thrust of this (event) is to make you feel like you’re outdoors,” Sweeney says. “There are even going to be tents.”

And, as with the September Classic, there will be some amazing music. On Friday night, Eileen Ivers and her band are on the bill, along with Seamus Kennedy, Laura Cortese, the Barley Boys, the Glengarry Bhoys, and Burning Bridget Cleary. Many of the same performers will show up to play again on Saturday, along with the John Whelan Band, Killen Thyme … and the ever-popular Solas. If you think that’s exciting news to light up the darkest, coldest part of the year, you have company in John Sweeney.

“I always look forward to the John Whelan Band,” says Sweeney. “John and I have known each other for a long time. A big draw for us is the Glengarry Bhoys. There’s a brand new local band, Burning Bridget Cleary. A lot of the people at the Philadelphia Ceili Group probably know these girls. They’re actually winners of our fiddling competition over the years. Then there’s the Laura Cortese Band out of Boston. Laura’s another great fiddler. It’s really gonna be a good show. I’m convinced everyone is gonna get a good value for their dollar.”

Early signs suggest the first Winter Classic will be every bit as popular as the September Classic. “I’m getting calls from people in Canada and the West Coast,” says Sweeney. “I didn’t anticipate we were going to be selling any tickets until after the beginning of the new year. We’re starting to sell them already.”

The Winter Classic was a long time coming. The Celtic Classic is coming up on its 20th year, but fans have been crying out for more for some time.

“We’ve had a lot of requests in the area for an additional event or to expand the Celtic Classic, which we didn’t think was practical,” Sweeney explains. “February seems like a good time of year for us. People are looking for something to do in the beginning of February.” (And of course, the popular Mid-Winter Scottish & Irish Music Festival and Fair comes to Valley Forge shortly thereafter, on February 16, 17, 18, 2007, so now you have even more to look forward to.)

For details on the first annual Winter Classic and to purchase tickets, visit the Celtic Cultural Alliance Web site