Go jig or go home
Lincoln City Cultural Center unveils Celtic Series lineup
Pacific Northwest old-time duo Dear Crow
Fiddles, harps, pipes, accordions and centuries of musical tradition will fill the Lincoln City Cultural Center this fall, winter and spring as the center embarks on an eight-concert journey through the music of Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Québec and beyond.
The 2026-27 Celtic Series opens this Tuesday, Oct. 20, with a double bill featuring Hayden Stern and Dear Crow, then continues monthly through May with performers ranging from rising traditional musicians to some of the most celebrated names in Celtic music.
Opening night pairs Scottish five-string fiddle players Hayden Stern and M’Gilvry Allen with Pacific Northwest old-time duo Dear Crow. Stern’s playing is rooted in Scottish fiddle while drawing from Irish, Scandinavian, French-Canadian and Appalachian traditions. Allen began playing at the age of four and has immersed himself in old-time, Scottish, Irish and Scandinavian fiddle music. Dear Crow brings together fiddler and songwriter Penka Jane Culevski and Brian Lindsay for songs, harmonies and dance tunes.
On Thursday, Nov. 19, Hildaland, made up of Orkney-born fiddler Louise Bichan and American mandolinist Ethan Setiawan, hits the stage. The duo connects Scottish and American traditional music with progressive bluegrass, jazz and contemporary composition. Their debut album, “Sule Skerry,” was longlisted for Album of the Year at the 2024 Scots Trad Music Awards.
One of Irish traditional music’s most influential fiddlers takes the stage on Thursday, Dec. 10, when Kevin Burke comes to Lincoln City. At the forefront of Irish music since the 1970s, Burke has performed with The Bothy Band, Patrick Street and the Celtic Fiddle Festival. His honors include a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship and Ireland’s Gradam Ceoil Traditional Musician of the Year award. His solo performances combine Sligo-style fiddle playing with stories gathered over a lifetime in traditional music.
The new year begins on Saturday, Jan. 9, with Lisa Lynne and Aryeh Frankfurter, multi-instrumentalists whose concerts feature Celtic harps alongside instruments including Swedish nyckelharpa, Ukrainian bandura, bouzouki and cittern. The longtime musical partners mix traditional and original music with stories and humor.
Irish musicians Caroline Keane and Tom Delany arrive on Thursday, Feb. 4. Keane’s concertina joins Delany’s uilleann pipes, bouzouki and guitar in a partnership that began while the two were studying at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick. Their music combines a deep grounding in Irish tradition with a contemporary approach.
St. Patrick’s Day brings the return of longtime Cultural Center favorites Men of Worth on Wednesday, March 17. Scotsman Donnie Macdonald and Irishman James Keigher have performed together since 1986, blending folk songs and instrumental tunes with storytelling and humor. Their repertoire includes songs in English, Scots Gaelic and Irish Gaelic.
On Thursday, April 1, Tom, Paddy & Adam unite three musicians with roots in Manx, Scottish and Irish traditions. Tomas Callister, Paddy Callaghan and Adam Rhodes combine fiddle, accordion and bouzouki in a high-energy trio. Callister and Rhodes are known for their work with Mec Lir and Ímar, while Callaghan is a former BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year.
The season reaches its finale on Wednesday, May 5, with internationally celebrated Québécois ensemble Le Vent du Nord. Since forming in 2002, the five-member group has performed more than 2,500 concerts on four continents and released 13 albums. Its honors include two Juno Awards, a Canadian Folk Music Award and Artist of the Year recognition from Folk Alliance.
Le Vent du Nord blends songs, reels and foot percussion with fiddle, accordion, hurdy-gurdy and other instruments, honoring Québec’s Francophone musical heritage while continuing to push the tradition in new directions.
Together, the eight concerts offer a broad sampling of Celtic and related folk traditions, ranging from intimate instrumental performances to full-stage celebrations.
Full-season passes offer a 25-percent savings compared with individual ticket prices, while mini-season packages offer additional savings. Table seating for individual concerts is $42 for adults, $39 for seniors and $30 for students. Seats without a table are $37 for adults, $34 for seniors and $20 for students.
Tuesday’s opening concert begins at 7 pm at the Lincoln City Cultural Center, located at 540 NE Hwy. 101.
For more information, performance times and tickets, go to lincolncity-culturalcenter.org or call 541-994-9994.