• Earlier this year, The Scottish National Party, which has seen a steady increase in public support over the past decade, proposed a 2nd referendum on Scottish Independence, and this week the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom issued a ruling on it, in essence ruling that Scotland needs the UK’s ‘permission’ to hold such a vote. In this speech, https://youtu.be/tx-OF9p3JXM, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, says the next general election will be a ‘de-facto referendum’ on Scottish independence. The next UK general election is scheduled to be held no later than January 2025.

• On Sunday, November 27th, from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM PST, its the Second Annual Highland Winter Festival, headlined by The Fire, and brought to you gratis by The Saint Andrews Society of San Francisco at the outdoor Music Concorse, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA. Then, on Saturday, December 3rd, at 6:30 PM, it’s the The Saint Andrews Society of San Francisco Annual Banquet & Ball at Marines Memorial Club, in San Francisco, CA (See Details)

• On Friday, November 25th at 7:00 PM, in the Spreckels PAC, in Rohnert Park, CA Kerry Irish Productions kicks off it’s annual An Irish Christmas tour with 14 more shows in a dozen more cities before Christmas. (See Details)
• On Saturday, November 26th @ 7:30 PM PST, the Irish Christmas in America holiday show begins their live, in person tour at The Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, CA, with six more California stops to follow. (See Details)
• On Sunday, November 27th at 4:30 PM and Sunday, December 18th at 12:00 PM, The Gaelic Muses will be playing at the Wheelhouse of Willow Glen in San Jose, CA. Then on Thursday, December 22nd at 5:00 PM, at Joe’s Corner in Fremont, CA(See Details)
• On Thursday, December, 1st, at 7:00 PM the 16th Annual Winterdance Christmas Celebration returns with shows in Carmichael, CA, San Jose, CA, Pacific Grove, CA, Los Osos, CA, Ashland, OR, Monroe, OR, Portland, OR, and Ridgefield, WA. (See Details)
• On Friday, December 2nd, at 8:00 PM, The Fire begins an 8 city tour of the West Coast, presenting their holiday show, The Fire’s Very Scottish Christmas in Sutter Creek, CA. (See Details)
• On Friday, December 2nd, at 8:00 PM, the Young Dubliners continue their tour of the West Coast in Arcata, CA. (See Details)
• On Saturday, December 3rd, at 5:00 PM, the Mother Lode Scots will host their annual Christmas Walk followed at 6:00 PM by their Christmas Ceilidh, all in Volcano, CA. (See Details)
• On Wednesday, December 7th, at 11:30 AM Pacific, Linn Phipps hosts another free monthly world-wide Gaelic Song Session, Srùbag, with special guest Mary Ann Kennedy and a Gaelic Christmas theme. Then on Saturday, December 17th, at 11:00 AM Pacific, Linn Phipps conducts another of her Learn Scottish Gaelic songs Workshops. These are both available to anyone, anywhere, live, Online via Zoom. (See Details)
• On Thursday, December 8th, and continuing on the following Thursday, December 15th, Sean Murphy will present a two-week live Zoom course titled History of Christmas and Christmas in Ireland, from 4:00 – 5:30 PM PST, Online via Zoom. (See Details)
• On Saturday, December 10th at 5:00 PM, The National Parks Service at Point Reyes National Seashore will hold their second Sea Chantey Singalong on Drake’s Beach, nearby the town of Point Reyes Station, CA. (See Details)
• On Saturday, December 10th, at 7:00 PM, The San Jose School of Highland Dancing invites you to it’s 16th Annual Extravaganza of Scottish Dance and Music in Saratoga, CA. (See Details)
• Sunday, December 11th at 3:00 PM, brings Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas, Extravaganza to the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz, CA, followed by their return to the Van Duzer in Arcata, CA on 12/15, the Cascade Theatre in Redding, CA on 12/20 and the Craterian in Medford, OR on 12/22. (See Details)
• New! On Sunday, December 11th, at 6:30 PM, The Cooley Keegan Branch of Comhaltas is hosting a Christmas Ceili with lots of Irish Ceili dancing to live music at the UICC in San Francisco, CA. (See Details)

• Each first Friday of the month, at 5:30 PM Pacific Time, the Cross Keys band, Cormac Gannon, Stacy Samuels, Neil O’Neill, sing out at the Way Station Smokehouse & Beer Garden in Fairfax, CA. (See Details)
• On first Saturdays at 7:00 PM, the fabulous Shipwrecked Shanty Band performs in person and streaming online via YouTube and Facebook Live from Sláinte Irish Pub in Jack London Square in Oakland, CA. (See Details)
• Each 2nd Saturday of the month, at 11:00 AM, it’s the San Francisco Virtual Chantey Sing! After years singing from the wooden decks of the historic 1886 sailing ship Balclutha at the Maritime National Historical Park, Hyde Street Pier, San Francisco, CA, this tradition now happens Online via Zoom. (See Details)
• On first and third Sundays of the month, from 11 AM – 1 PM Pacific / 2 PM – 4 PM Eastern time, Lynn Noel hosts Mermaid’s Tavern sing-arounds online via Zoom from her home studio. On the first Sunday of the month the theme is Ballads, and on the third Sunday of the month the theme is Sea Chanteys and Tavern Songs. (See Details)
• On Tuesday evenings, from 7:00-8:30 PM Pacific Time, its the Andronicos San Francisco Jam, hosted by Dinah and Noah Stroe on Zoom from San Francisco, CA. (See Details)
• On Wednesdays, from 12:00 – 2:00 PM Pacific Time, multi-instrumentalist Mark Wallis and Tony Becker host the Trans-Atlantic Session, a participatory online Irish music event timed so our friends from Ireland and the UK and join in. (See Details)
• On Wednesdays, at 2:30 PM John Whelan conducts his free series of ‘Tune Teach’ and ‘Taking Time’ Sessions (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)
• Alix Sandra Huntley-Speirs has begun a series of online Irish Traditional Learners Sessions on Thursdays, at 3 PM Pacific, 6 PM Eastern or 11 PM Ireland/UK (just before the Ould Sod Virtual Session, Thursdays 6:00 – 8:00 PM Pacific), for those who are just beginning to learn to play an Irish Instrument. (See Details)
• On Thursdays, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM Pacific Time, multi-instrumentalist Michael Eskin hosts The Ould Sod Virtual Irish Session, 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 Thursdays, from 7:00 PM on, Stout Rebellion leads their community fun time at Father Paddy’s Public House in Woodland, CA. (See Details)

• Co-Founder Cecilia Fábos-Becker’s e-book Ancestry & DNA: Beyond the basics, is available for download now! (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)
• Alex Sinclair, proprietor of Willow on the Green, located on 9th Avenue in San Francisco, CA, provisions Picnics in the adjacent Golden Gate Park and beyond. (See Details)
• As of Sunday, April 3rd The Starry Plough has reopened, with all the events it’s many long term customers had before the pandemic, open on Sundays – Wednesdays in Berkeley, CA. (See Details)
• On Tuesday – Sunday, from 12-10 PM, Sláinte Pub offers a their full menu of great food and drink, at their location at Jack London Square in Oakland, 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)
• Music and Dance have returned to the cherished San Francisco Celtic cultural institution, The Plough and the Stars, now open from Wednesday through Sunday, 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM. (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)
• Catherine Barry’s Irish Culture Bay Area, offers a succinct listing of Irish events around Bay Area. (See Details)

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