- February 18, 2025
Chris Collins (right) plays the hammered dulcimer and her husband Phil Pittenger plays the guitar as they lead a session at the Marty Groody Memorial Jam Tent during the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Rotary Club of Downtown Ormond Beach founding president Joyce Pepin (right) and new member Claire Hiller (left) man the entrance to the Celtic Festival at The Casements and Rockefeller Gardens. Photo by Michele Meyers
John Snyder, his grandniece Anna Devriese and niece Melissa Devriese relax with their canine family members Scout and Sugar at the 13th annual Celtic Festival in Ormond Beach. Photo by Michele Meyers
Festival goers peruse vendor row located between The Casements and Rockefeller Gardens at the 13th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Tim "the Sawman" Martin (left), Max Ortiz (center) and Dave Clipp (right) play instruments during a session at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Max Ortiz jams with musicians at the Marty Groody Memorial Jam Tent during the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. He said he finally found his instrument--the Bodhrán, a handheld drum. Photo by Michele Meyers
Tim "the Sawman" Martin plays his saw at the Marty Groody Memorial Jam Tent during the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Musician Ennis Pruitt leads a jam session at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athlete Leah Oxendine competes in the Braemar and Open Stone events at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Percussionist Chuck Spano accompanies the band Hard to Port at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athlete Cole Wildey placed first overall in the Men B division. He tossed the sheaf 28 feet over the bar at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Florida Facepainting's Brittani Giles paints a dolphin on Zoa Wittig's face at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Zoa Wittig models her dolphin at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. She said she loves sea creatures. Photo by Michele Meyers
Emma Flagler talks to a baby goat at the petting zoo during the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
BackinTyme musicians Mary Lee and Frank Sweet perform on the Highland Village Bob Monroe Stage at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Balloon artist Diamond Jim asks Lilly Quintrell for her assistance with the air tank at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
A Highland Games athlete throws the sheaf as fellow athletes, family and friends watch at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games and amateur strong woman athlete Roxy Finamore said her favorite event is Weight Over Bar. Photo by Michele Meyers
Pirates Cove employees Alex Webb (left) and Josalyn Bok (right) help six-year-old golfer Wyatt Cooper putt at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Pirates Cove employees Josalyn Bok (left) and Alex Webb (right) man a putting green at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sophia Caffrey colors a turtle in the kid zone at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Celtic-Norse Heritage Society members march in the clan parade at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
New World Celts Volusia members march in the clan parade at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Celtic-Norse Heritage Society members hang out in the clan village at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Celtic-Norse Heritage Society members hang out in the clan village at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Celtic-Norse Heritage Society members get wild in the clan village at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Gravy takes a water break with her best friend Victoria Mullins at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Two members of the Celtic-Norse Heritage Society roam the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athlete Brian Burnett participates in multiple events including the caber toss at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. He placed second overall in the men 40+ division. Photo by Michele Meyers
Honored Clan MacLaren members Lori MacLaren, Corey Patterson, Frank Flowers and Dawn Garan hang out at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jerry Henkins offers one of the best photo-ops for festival-goers at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athletes Nix Houston (left) and Tanisha Lee compete at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athletes Nix Houston (left) and Tanisha Lee play with Venom the puppy before their next events at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jason Richards tosses the caber during the Highland Games at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. He placed first overall in the Men 40+ and Men Light divisions. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jason Richards tosses the caber during the Highland Games at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. He placed first overall in the Men 40+ and Men Light divisions. Photo by Michele Meyers
Brian Burnett gets control of the caber during the Highland Games at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athlete Brian Burnett participates in multiple events including the caber toss at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. He placed second overall in the men 40+ division. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athletes participated in multiple events including the light and heavy hammer throw at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athlete Roxy Finamore throws in the weight for distance event at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Owner and maker of Medicine Wind Bamboo Flutes, George Tortorelli poses with his handmade flutes at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. His flutes are made from bamboo he grows himself. Photo by Michele Meyers
Ten-year-old Happy the goat hangs out in the Happy Goat Trading Co. tent with owner Stacy Alan (center), Julie (left) and Addison Moonlight (second from left). Photo by Michele Meyers
Isabelle Kuczynski (left), Nakai Haley (second from left), Colette Kuczynski and Nakoma Thomas (right) have a little fun at the Pirate's Cove putting green at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mike Rivera with Soldier Solutions sells products to pay for service dogs for veterans. He has two service dogs in his family that cost $28,000 due to specialized training and care. Photo by Michele Meyers
Palm Coast resident Danny Patnode sings Irish tunes at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athletes Nix Houston (left) and Roxy Finamore (right) at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Daytona Beach Pipes and Drums opens the Parade of Tartens on Saturday at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Daytona Beach Pipes and Drums open the Parade of Tartens on Saturday at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Joe Naylor hammers a split cross as part of the blacksmithing demonstration at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Ormond Beach MainStreet gifted two days of Highland Games with spectator seating, more activities for the kids, a plethora of Celtic musicians and vendors and a commemorative for purchase at the 13th annual Ormond Beach Celtic Festival held the weekend of April 20-21 at The Casements north lawn in Rockefeller Gardens and Fortunato Park.
Eighteen clans and societies graced the grounds north of The Casements including the honored clan — Clan MacLaren. Clan member Corey Patterson said at the end of the festival the previous year, they were asked to be the honored clan.
“As the honored clan, we get a choice of spots,” he said. “Other than that, it is mainly, be here — be friendly. We welcome everybody. If you want to come hang out — come hang out. If you want to join — join.”
The Parade of the Tartans was led by Daytona Beach Pipe and Drums on Saturday and by the City of Mount Dora Pipe Band on Sunday. New World Celts and Nauti Pets hosted the annual dog parade held on The Casements stage. Donations were given to local shelters.
This was the first festival of its kind where the athletes competed on both Saturday and Sunday. Men and women had the opportunity to compete in open divisions, elite men and the men’s 40+ on Saturday. Senior men and women and lightweight men competed on Sunday.
The crowd for both days was phenomenal as they cheered on the athletes. We were so excited how well the whole event was run and we can’t wait for next year." — DAWN SCHULL, President of the Foundation for Scottish Athletics
Approximately 80 athletes took to the fields throughout the weekend battling in nine events each day—Braemar stone, open stone, heavy and light weight for distance, heavy and light hammer throw, weight over bar, sheaf and caber toss.
Dawn Schull, President of the Foundation for Scottish Athletics, said Becky Parker, Ormond Beach MainStreet Executive Director, has been asking for the additional day.
“The crowd for both days was phenomenal as they cheered on the athletes,” Schull said. “We were so excited how well the whole event was run and we can’t wait for next year.”
Festival-goers meandered through four designated villages — Clan Village, Celtic Village, Highland Village and Lowland Village. They hosted five stages offering a variety of musical and dance entertainment. The Marty Groody Memorial Jam Tent was home to multiple workshops including a mandolin workshop with Ennis Pruitt, a Celtic fiddle workshop with Martha Delaney-Hotz and a Bodhran workshop with Chuck Spano, to name a few.
The Highland Village was home to most of the athletic events and kids’ activities. They included a bounce castle and obstacle course, the Pop-up Ponies and Petting Pals Zoo, a craft area, Florida Face Painting, glitter tattooing, balloon artistry by Diamond Jim and a Pirate’s Cove putting green.
Revelers of all ages joined the Friends of the Tomoka Basin State Park to create fish paintings and learn about the nonprofit’s mission to support the Tomoka Basin State Parks — Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park, Bulow Creek State Park, Dummett Mill Ruins, Addison Blockhouse Historic State Park and Haw Creek Preserve State Park and Tomoka State Park.
Setup across the way was the blacksmithing demonstration. Florida Artist Blacksmith Association volunteers, Mike Johnson and Joe Naylor, demonstrated how to forge and hammer a split cross. Johnson said it was important to keep the traditions alive and the Celtic Festival was the perfect platform.
“The purpose of FABA and what I enjoy about it, is we try to focus on teaching and keeping some of the traditions alive,” he said. “Blacksmithing is a dying art — everything is machine and mass-produced. If old-world blacksmiths had access to some of the tools we have now like a belt grinder or a power hammer, they would be all over using it to be more efficient.
“But we want to keep the spirit alive in some of the traditions. So we do the hand forge. People really love it.”