[Emily->], [Abigail->], [Liam->] and I all went to Fiesta Gardens in Austin on Saturday for the Austin Celtic Festival. The weather was, unfortunately, authentically cold and rainy, and even though we’d planned ahead and were appropriately dressed, it took a toll; the kids slept all the way home.

In spite of the precipitation, we had a great time. The SCA was out in force, doing combat demonstrations every half hour. There were a ton of great bands, none of which we got to spend sufficient time in front of, but all of which we quite enjoyed. A lot of the groups are doing interesting things combining traditional instruments, such as pipes and fiddle, with full trap sets, electric guitars and basses, and other rock instruments. The fused sound is a great one; eminently dancable and listenable. I give it a 10!

The kids especially enjoyed the childrens tent, which included stenciling, digging for money in tubs of oats, and coloring of their own coats-of-arms. I was a bit disappointed that there weren’t more instruments available for purchase — not a single pennywhistle maker that I could find — but there was a Uilleann Pipe Club, which as far as I could tell consisted of two members. (One of those had actually built his from scratch — no mean feat.)

Alas, we missed the Highland Games, which were scheduled for Sunday. I’m definitely looking forward to next year’s event, which will hopefully feel more like October in Texas than in Scotland.