Downtown Corvallis is about to trade its usual summer hush for the sound of fiddles, uilleann pipes, and stomping feet. The Corvallis Celtic Festival returns July 16–19, 2026, transforming the city center into four days of free, family-friendly music, dance, and hands-on workshops celebrating Celtic culture — this year’s lineup is shaping up to be the festival’s biggest yet.
The roster is stacked, mixing local Corvallis favorites, touring bands, dancers, and pipers from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond:
Us & Them — a Corvallis-based fiddle quartet built around two couples, closing the festival with Sunday’s céilí.
Two Rivers Céilí Band — lively Irish traditional tunes for céilí and set dancing, also on tap for Sunday’s dance.
Stout Pounders — the Seattle-based Irish folk and Celtic rock band headlining Saturday night, blending traditional tunes with everything from ska to metal.
Steeplechase — a Washington-based band spanning heartbreak to uplift, led by Hanz Araki on flutes and vocals.
The Nettles — a longtime Corvallis favorite playing progressive Celtic music anchored by Laura Brophy’s fiddle.
Elias Alexander — a multi-instrumentalist and producer who fuses traditional Celtic sound with EDM and live looping.
Hayden Stern Band — a Seattle roots-scene fiddler celebrating the release of his debut album with a full band.
Ceo — Blake Ritter on fiddle and Alina Larson on uilleann pipes, known for driving rhythms and tight, spontaneous interplay.
Cucanandy — a Corvallis-based group bringing tunes and songs from Scotland, Ireland, and beyond.
Joseph Linahon — performing Celtic folk music spanning 16th-century Jacobite ballads, Scottish love ballads, and sea shanties.
Laura Zaerr and Friends — Celtic harp and vocals joined by fiddle, cello, and whistle, featuring original tunes flavored by the Highlands and Nova Scotia.
Sharon and Dave Thormahlen — local favorites performing Celtic music and original compositions on harp, mandolin, bouzouki, tenor banjo, and guitar.
Mo Robinson — an Irish-born singer and storyteller performing traditional and original songs in true troubadour style.
James Wilson — a Sacramento-based multi-instrumentalist on tin whistle, guitar, and mandolin.
The Glensiders — ranging from high-energy Irish rebel songs to Scottish ballads and crowd-pleasing sea shanties.
Kitchen Ceili — a women’s a cappella group singing in Scots Gaelic, who will also lead a workshop on traditional wool-waulking songs.
Willamette Valley Pipers — a Eugene-based pipe and drum band led by Pipe Major Nathan Wahlgren, performing marches, strathspeys, jigs, reels, and hornpipes.
Blackthorn Academy of Dance — an Irish dance company from Eugene with dancers ranging from age 5 to adult.
Ceili of the Valley — Salem-based dancers who perform and then invite the audience to join in — no partner or experience necessary.
More Than a Concert
What sets the Corvallis Celtic Festival apart is how participatory it is. Saturday and Sunday are packed with workshops in venues around downtown and at the Corvallis Library, where attendees can learn to play traditional instruments, pick up singing techniques, or try Celtic dance steps alongside the performers themselves. Open jam sessions let musicians of any skill level sit in and play — or newcomers can simply pull up a chair and listen. Children’s activities run throughout the weekend, making it an easy family outing.
Festivalgoers can also enter a raffle benefiting the festival, with a shot at winning a violin (complete with case and bow) or a low D whistle that comes with a lesson from Rob Gandara. Tickets are available at Grass Roots Books, Troubadour Music, and at festival events, with the drawing held at the close of the festival on July 19.
The Details
All festival events are free, though donations are welcomed to support the Corvallis Folklore Society, the nonprofit behind the event. Visitors staying overnight can get a discount at Hotel Corvallis using the promo code CELTIC. For a detailed schedule, visit the Corvallis Celtic Festival schedule webpage here.
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