18^th – 20^th March 2005

The festival was first held in 1976 and has been staged annually since then making it the longest running Celtic Festival in Australia. In 2005, the Festival will celebrate 30 years in Kapunda. However its creative roots extend back to the 19^th century when Kapunda’s Celtic community enthusiastically celebrated St Patrick’s Day each year.

Following the discovery of copper in the mid 19^th century, a commercial mine was developed, attracting miners from Cornwall, Wales and Ireland to the town of Kapunda. The establishment of the Festival was motivated by the wish to celebrate this Celtic heritage.

The town’s population of approximately 3000 is a richly varied community with a high proportion of visual and performing artists.