Celtic fans around the county have reason to celebrate: the Potomac Celtic Festival is coming back this summer after organizers, late last year, said it would be cancelled.
"We are having it," Patty Kloss-McKay, the Potomac Celtic Alliance's secretary said. "That's what's important."
At the end of 2006, it was not clear there would be a Celtic festival this year, when organizers announced that they did not have the money to sustain the event.
"Unfortunately, over the last few years the festival has not been self-sustaining," Hugh G. Colston Jr., president of the Potomac Celtic Alliance said in a September letter. "Attendance and sponsorship have both dropped, requiring us to draw on our financial reserves to meet our obligations."
By November, the alliance was looking for a site to have a smaller, scaled-back festival, which could have taken the event out of Loudoun County completely. However, after months of uncertainty, the popular summer festival will be held Saturday, June 9, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., thanks in part to the support of Morven Park, long-time home of the festival, and a partnership with the Loudoun Convention and Visitors Association.
THE ALLIANCE received a $7,200 cooperative marketing fund from the Loudoun Convention and Visitors Association, which allows the county to partner with events that promote tourism.
"We have a line item in our budget, which allows us to do that," Cheryl Kilday, president of the LCVA, said.
Kilday said that when the alliance put forth its grant proposal at the end of 2006, the association was excited to have the opportunity to help keep the festival going.
"This is one of those events that, through the years, has been a good tourism booster," she said. "It has had a significant impact over the years. It was an important investment to us to keep it on the calendar."
Kloss-McKay said that the money from the association, and money the alliance had raised through various fund-raisers, provided just enough money to jump-start the festival.
MOVING FROM A two-day to a one-day event does mean a lot of changes, Kloss-McKay admitted.
"We knew we would lose a large amount of our vendors," she said. "For a lot of them these events are their livelihood and they need to get things on their calendar. We didn't know until the beginning of 2007 that we would even be having it and they have to make other plans."
In addition to the drop in vendors, Kloss-McKay said this year's festival will only have two musical stages instead of eight and one dance stage. The stages will alternate performances.
"So there will always be something going on," she said.
The two biggest losses to the festival are the athletics and the night event, Kloss-McKay said, but both were too expensive for the alliance this year.
"It saddens us greatly to lose them, but the cost was just too much," she said.
While the lineup is smaller than in years past, the performers who have signed on to the festival have gone the extra mile to show their commitment and support.
"Everyone is donating their performances this year," Kloss-McKay said. "It is really heart-warming. We're just tickled."
In addition to the musical and dance acts there will still be a convention of Scottish clans and societies and she is still hoping to find someone to organize the storytellers and workshops.
"I would love to have that happen, but it all depends on whether we can find someone to head that up," she said. "We have a beautiful spot for it."
ONE IMPORTANT aspect of the festival will not change, Kloss-McKay said. Morven Park stepped forward and offered the historical green on the park grounds for the festival.
"We did not think we were going to be able to hold it there, but they're very committed to supporting the festival," she said. "They've more than met us halfway. We're very pleased and happy about it."
While the site is smaller than the location in past years, Kloss-McKay said she and the alliance were very happy with the spot Morven Park offered.
"They showed it to us and it is just beautiful," she said. "With the lineup of entertainment we have, the site will fill up and it will look great."
The alliance's only concern is that people will automatically go to the regular location at Morven Park, instead the historical green.
"We're still worried people won't find us," she said. "It's not a drive-by site by any means, but we have the directions up on our Web site."