The marquee event of the fall tourism season kicks off Friday.
Dawn Beaton, the artistic director of the Celtic Colours International Festival, says concerts and community events run through the week up until Oct. 19.
The Chieftains open the 23rd annual festival at Centre 200 Friday; they’ll be joined by Ashley MacIsaac, Phamie Gow, Tim Edey and the Cape Breton University Pipe Band.
Beaton tells The Hawk the festival draws a huge amount of money to the region.
“We’re around the $13 million mark as far as cash spent on Island,” she says. “We’re very specific about that, it’s not a spinoff number because that’s a multiplier effect- it’s known dollars spent on Island.”
Beaton says that’s real dollars for the festival’s 52 concerts and 90 other community events, and the associated tourist activities.
She says they’re making the 2019 event about developing young artists and community members.
“I really tried to craft a lot of mentorship opportunities for the artists on stage, but it goes beyond just the artists’ development,” she says. “I’m trying to incorporate more youth MCs (so they can) mentor under some of our other great MCs to get that experience.”
Beaton says Celtic Colours wraps in Port Hawkesbury with a concert by artists in residence Beòlach and Breabach Oct. 19.
