Summer Highlights:
Baddeck Gathering Ceilidh, in the village of Baddeck, on the north side of St. Patrick’s Channel. Named for a popular local fiddle tune, this summer celebration of Cape Breton music runs every night of the week in July and August, at St. Michael’s Parish Hall on the village’s main street.
Wycocomagh Summer Festival, at the head of the Bras d’Or Lakes on St. Patrick’s Channel. Held during the third week of July, this event features “Ceilidhs on the Waterfront,” with traditional Scottish and Mi’kmaq music and dance.
Summer Highlights:
Festivals and Frolics
In the land of the Bras d’Or, it sometimes seems like the hills themselves are fiddling a Celtic tune or singing a Gaelic song. It’s hard to imagine a time when toes aren’t tapping and bows aren’t flying at festivals, workshops, classes, dances, ceilidhs, frolics and kitchen parties. In Cape Breton, the only area in the world where Gaelic continues as a living language, music, dance and storytelling are a way of life. Looking for some authentic Cape Breton culture? Check out the nearest community hall – there’s sure to be someone making musical magic on the local stage.
May Happenings:
• Féis a Chlachain, in the village of Iona, on the west side of the Barra Strait. This 1-day event, held each year in mid-May, celebrates Gaelic Cultural Awareness Month, with workshops led by local Gaelic singers. Learn traditional “milling” songs, and practice them at an evening “Milling Frolic.”
Other Activities:
Tour one of the most beautiful scenic drives around the Cabot Trail, Visit the Alexander Graham Bell Museum or tour his estate by boat. Swim, Sail, K
marks the location of the property in Cape Breton Island
