AmeriCeltic Newsletter
Friday, 2026-05-08
Updates, Features, & Events
AmeriCeltic.net is a non-profit public service, supported by you, our readers and performers.
Your donation of any amount is very welcome and will help us prepare and distribute these newsletters, support our Mission, and continue our public outreach, as we did at several Celtic Events in past years and have done online throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing period.
Join our Celtic-compatible community on Facebook in a modestly moderated meetup.


Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!
.
Learn more in our Video Introduction
Hello AmeriCeltic Reader,
• New! Amelia Hogan has launched another collaborative album project, Saoirse, and is raising funds on Kickstarter. (See Details)
• On Friday, May 8th, at 7:00 PM, fresh, young, Boston-based Celtic quintet Scottish Fish continues their West Coast tour at Wow Hall, Eugene, in Eugene, OR, followed by weekend shows in Olympia, & Bellingham WA. (See Details)
• On Friday, May 8th, at 7:00 PM the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers will perform their annual Stravaig Concert, at Veterans Memorial Theatre, in Davis, CA followed by two more concerts – Saturday in Berkeley and Sunday in Aptos, CA. (See Details)
• On Friday, May 8th at 7:30 PM, Celtic trio Kalos launches a concert tour of eight California cities with a Concert in Fresno, CA, with two more shows to follow in Pasadena and Goleta, CA. (See Details)
• New! On Friday, May 8th, at 7:30 PM, Nova Scotian sisters Cassie and Maggie continue their tour at Unity of the Valley in Eugene, OR, and on Saturday, conclude at Winona Grange, in Tualatin, OR. (See Details)
• New! On Saturday, May 9th, at 12:30 PM, Suzuki Cady and
Jimmy Murphy perform at the Hopmonk in Sonoma, CA. (See Details)
• On Saturday, May 9th, at 7:00 PM, the Katie Jane Band performs at the Historic Butteville Store, in Butteville, OR. (See Details)
• New! On Saturday, May 16th and Sunday, May 17th, from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, it is the 3rd Annual Marin Irish Festival and Ceili on the Lake Feis at Marin County Fairgrounds in San Rafael, CA. (See Details)
• New! On Sunday, May 17th at 5:00 PM, the Irish Literary and Historical Society will host artist-scholar-teacher Professor Sukanya Chakrabarti presenting a talk on Absurd Afterlives: Samuel Beckett in South Asian Contexts, at the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco, CA. (See Details)
• On Fridays, from 5:00 PM on, Pub Scouts, plays great tunes at Duffy’s Tavern in Chico, CA. (See Details)
• On the 1st Saturday of each month, at 6:00 PM, the San Francisco in-person Chantey Sing is held at the Maritime Museum in San Francisco, CA, and then on the 2nd or 3rd Saturday of the month, at 11:00 AM, the San Francisco Virtual Chantey Sing happens Online via Zoom. (See Details)
• On Sundays, from 1:00 – 5:00 PM, there is a Turf in the Bog performance at Yosemite Wine Tails in Oakhurst, CA. (See Details)
• On the first Sunday every month, at 9:00 AM Pacific, Dr. Ronan Connolly offers a Lets Learn Irish free workshop on Irish Language, free of charges and available everywhere Online via Zoom. They also offer a free, on demand starter course of three short videos. (See Details)
• On Sundays, from 8:00 UK time / 12:00 PM Pacific, it’s the Loch Down Folk Club, timed so our friends from the US and Canada can join in, Online via Zoom. (See Details)
• On the last Sunday of each month, join Alexandra Annen for a Irish traditional instrumental music session at Sayla Music Academy in Lodi, CA. (See Details)
• On First Sundays, Grass Valley based Three Times Through plays at Grass Valley Brewing Company in Grass Valley, CA, plus several other weekend dates around the Gold Country of California. (See Details)
• On the first Sunday of the month, from 11 AM – 1 PM Pacific / 2 PM – 4 PM Eastern time, Lynn Noel hosts the Mermaid’s Tavern Ballad sing-around, online via Zoom from her home studio. (See Details)
• Beginning Sunday, April 5th, and on the 1st Sunday of every month, from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM, the Savage Craic Irish session performs at The Mad Dog in the Fog, 1568 Haight St., San Francisco, CA. See Details
• On 1st Sundays at 6:00 PM, 1st Thursdays at 8:00 PM, and other Thursdays at 8:30 PM, Irish Dance – San Francisco Bay Area organizes Irish set dancing in San Francisco, CA. (See Details)
• Phoenix Folk Ltd. was established in 2009 by Maurice Condie, Adam Holden & Marina Dodgson to promote participation and performance in folk and acoustic music, song and dance across the North East of England, and since the COVID lockdowns, they have expanded into the online world. Currently, they host three weekly online events on Zoom, happening at 8:00 PM UK / 12:00 PM Pacific on Monday’s, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Online via Zoom. (See Details)
• New! On Mondays at 9:00 AM Pacific and Wednesdays at 3:00 PM Pacific, moreGaelic hosts Scottish Gaelic language events live on Zoom. (See Details)
• On Mondays, from 12:00 – 2:00 PM Pacific Time, Mark Wallis & Alix Sandra Huntley-Speirs host the Moosehead Traditional Irish Music Session, a participatory online Irish instrumental music event, timed so our friends from Ireland and the UK and join in. Online via Zoom. (See Details)
• On Mondays, from 3:00 – 6:00 PM Pacific Time, Irish born Maureen McNally hosts the Ag Teacht Le Cheile Irish Session, a participatory online Irish music event timed so our friends from Ireland and the UK can join in. Online via Zoom. (See Details)
• On Mondays, from 6:00 – 7:15 PM at her home in Sebastopol, CA, Suzuki Cady gives Irish Music Classses for All Instruments. (See Details)
• On Monday, December 15th, at 7:00 PM Celtic Arts Center host their annual Grand Music Session, Winter Holiday. On Mondays, from 7:00 – 8:00 PM, the Celtic Arts Center offers beginner level Irish classes online via Zoom and a full evening of Celtic in-person music and dance at the Mayflower Club in North Hollywood, CA. (See Details)
• On Wednesdays, from 12:00 – 2:00 PM Pacific Time, Tony Becker, hosts the Trans-Atlantic Session, an online traditional music event, featuring a mix of instrumental and vocal performances, timed so participants from Ireland and the UK can join in. Later on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM Pacific, Tony hosts the Pacific Evening Session. (See Details)
• On Wednesdays, John Whelan conducts his free Play Along Sessions: Tune Learning at 3:00 PM Pacific and Taking Time at 4:00 PM both Online via Zoom. (See Details)
• On the 2nd Wednesday of each month, at 7:00 PM, Irish American Writers and Artists West’s Lori Cassels hosts a salon of local artists at Slainte Pub in Berkeley, CA. (See Details)
• Every Wednesday, at 8:00 PM Los Angeles based Stepwise, a young traditional band born of the COVID Pandemic by founders Liam Lewis and Olivia Breidenthal, performs at Griffins of Kinsale in South Pasadena, CA. (See Details)
• The Philo-Celtic Society offers four full quarters of multiple free classes focused on learning the Irish Language, and some quarters include classes in Irish Song. Fall Quarter 2024 classes began in mid-September and run through December, and include a Children’s Reading Class. All are accessible to everyone everywhere, Online via Zoom. (See Details)
• On Wednesdays, at at 8 – 9:30 PM Eastern / 5 – 6:30 PM Pacific, and again on Thursdays at 8 – 9:30 PM Pacific / 11 – 12:30 AM Eastern, Autumn Rhodes teaches Irish Session Repertoire for All Instruments online via Zoom from San Francisco, CA. (See Details)
• On 1st Thursdays, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM Pacific Time, multi-instrumentalist Michael Eskin hosts the The Ould Sod Virtual Irish Sessions, the best and most popular participatory online Irish traditional music event. (See Details)
• On Thursdays, at 6:00 PM Pacific Time, One Eyed Reilly plays at The Delta King Bar & Grill in Sacramento, CA, and can be heard at several other venues in the Sacramento Valley. (See Details)
• On third Thursdays, at 6:00 PM, Phillip Taylor leads a Irish/Scottish tune learning session at the Strum Shop in Roseville, CA. (See Details)
• Co-Founder Cecilia Fábos-Becker’s e-book Ancestry & DNA: Beyond the basics, is available for download now! (See Details)
• On Fridays from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, (Pacific time) as well as Mondays from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM, Tuesdays – Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Online or In-Person, Oakhurst, CA born Cedar Dobson is offering lessons in all types of Irish whistles from Gandharva Loka World Music Store in Central Dublin, Ireland. Cedar is also gathering donations on gofundme to produce physical CDs of her new album, Decade. Click here to make a donation. (See Details)
• Sláinte Pub continues to provide a proper Irish Pub experience at Jack London Square in Oakland, CA. (See Details)
• Now in their 3rd year, Willow on the Green, operated by friend of the family Alex Sinclair and located on 9th Avenue in San Francisco, CA, is especially convenient to Golden Gate Park, and caters to the park revelers, offering a unique array of ready to eat culinary delights. (See Details)
• Well known Flying Scot and all round traditional musician David Brewer has launched his online music lessons, accessible to anyone, anywhere Online via Zoom. (See Details)
• The Starry Plough is now open everyday, with all the events it’s many long term customers had before the pandemic, in Berkeley, CA. (See Details)
• Music and Dance have returned to the cherished San Francisco, CA Celtic cultural institution, The Plough and the Stars, now open from Wednesday through Sunday, 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM. (See Details)
• The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant, the local Irish Pub bringing the culture of Ireland to downtown San Francisco at 5th and Howard. (See Details)
• Multi-genre violin teacher (especially Irish Traditional Music) and performer Darcy Noonan is available for gigs and lessons. (See Details)
• Sport your Celtic heritage! AmeriCeltic offers a colorful array of items, each emblazoned with the AmeriCeltic logo. (See Details)
• The Celtic Tea Shoppe, in San Jose is your source for Celtic and Celtic inspired carry-out fresh baked foods, confections and rare teas. (See Details)
• With an extensive selection of instruments and instructional material from around the world, Lark In The Morning in Berkeley, CA is open for in person and online sales and lessons. (See Details)
• Publican Stan Gamble has re-opened The Duke of Edinburgh Pub & Restaurant, offering full service 7 days a week from 4pm to late. (See Details)
Scan our feature articles below, or as always, you can click here to check the full listings on our website.
AmeriCeltic Newsletter
Friday, 2026-05-08
Updates, Features, & Events








