From the very first day of performing at a Renaissance faire, I dreamed of starting my own. Then I started performing at sci fi conventions. I dreamed of starting my own con. As I fought to perform at Celtic festivals, I thought, “It'd be so much easier if I just started my own Celtic festival.”
Of course, that's never the case. I don't have all the needed skills to successfully organize, promote, and manage a faire, convention or festival. That doesn't mean I don't dream about doing it anyway.
Today, I had a wee brainstorm though–CeltiCon, a Celtic-inspired by sci fi convention.
A year ago, I posted a blog about Celtic Geeks. I even created a facebook group for it. There are a lot of people who love their Celtic culture and science fiction. It got me thinking this morning… What would it look like to me?
As a convention, I see it in a hotel, but there should be ample room outdoors for Highland Games and other Celtic events.
There would be live Celtic music all day long, and a traditional Irish session in the evening. Lots of great Celtic geeky bands like Emerald Rose and artists like Tom Smith (a great filker and lover of Irish songs). Plus some good fun Celtic bands. If it was in Birmingham, I'd have Jasper Coal play. Oh! And of course, I'd play there. 🙂
There would be Celtic movies like Waking Ned Devine and The Secret of Roan Inish, as well as movies like Braveheart and Rob Roy. But there would also be Sci Fi movies featuring Celtic music. Lord of the Rings (though that's more fantasy IMHO) comes to mind, but I know there are others.
There would be lots of panels on learning Gaelic, Celtic customs and culture, Celtic arts and crafts. There would be a Celtic art show (special guest would have to be Ingrid Houwers). There would be some Celtic costuming. And of course, there'd be gaming. How many of us Celtic Geeks LOVE to game! I know I do! Plus, how many of the games have Celtic inspirations. I'm looking at you Dungeons & Dragons!
That seems pretty encompassing, but what did I forget? What kind of events would you like to see at CeltiCon?
You could always have a ceiligh. Costumed, of course. 🙂 A Kaylee ceiligh – and everybody show up in their layer-cake dresses and the guys could wear their best “Captain Tightpants” clothes!
You could have something like a highland games but with a Sci-Fi twist. Like, I don’t know…instead of tossing cabers you could toss droids, Or tardises. That sort of thing.
LOL! I love it Bill!
Sounds like you’re wanting a Maker Faire. Several of those have sprung up recently, so you’d have lots of folks to give you help and advice.
Hi Marc,
This sounds like a wonderful idea, and I have some of the skills working in the travel industry to assist in some aspects of putting the event together. I also have a lot of contacts that put on big meetings and events that I can work with.
Like anything you need to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run, but over time the event could come to encompass Celtic lifestyle through games, movies, songs, spiritually, etc.
Email me and we can chat.
OOOOhh someone said it. TARDIS’s!! Got to have the Dr. even if he is often more Brit than Celt. You would have so many in costume.