Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Manx and Galicia

Original & largest Celtic Faire returns to Sonora!
Celebrating the cultures of Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall, Wales, and all Celtic Nations with the 29th Annual Sonora Celtic Faire located at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds.

Sonora- America's original Celtic Faire, featured on National Geographic Television, returns to the Mother Lode Fairgrounds on March 6-8th, 2015. The 29th Annual Sonora Celtic Faire will expand to three days of never ending Celtic entertainment. The largest gathering of Celtic musicians will be one of the highlights at this year's event, from high-energy Celtic rock bands to the most traditional of groups. With 20 musical groups, performing on five stages, the faire offers something to every age and ear!

From National Geographic Television to the History Channel, featured performancesin 2011 and 2012 we keep adding more non-stop entertainment for everyone which includes: Scottish & Irish Clans, belly dance troupes, Scottish dancers, Irish Step dancers, Celtic Windows in Time-, (featuring 600 costumed re-enactors and 2500 years of Celtic History), armored foot combat, Welsh longbow archery, street performers, a giant, a fire breathing dragon, Vikings, jugglers, and a fire eater. Other highlights include the large Celtic food court and Celtic marketplace, with 80 + Celtic vendors, artisans, and crafts persons. A special feature at the faire this year will be the Scot's & Irish-Whiskey Bars. The best single malts and blends will be sampled and judged by the festival goers. The faire will also offer a large tavern offering Guinness, Harp, and other fine Celtic imports on-tap!

Award winning artist oil painter, Patrick Michael Karnahan, will have a showing of his landscapes of Ireland.
The collection of work will include some location paintings the artist created while living in Ireland in the 1980s. The show will also feature many current works inspired by Ireland’s rugged coastline. Karnahan will also have several memorabilia of his Sonora Celtic Faire on display to add to the theme. Karnahan created the very first Celtic Faire, of the modern age, over 28 years ago.
In 1986 the artist was asked to teach a class on landscape painting in the town of Westport, Ireland. When the weather cooperated, Karnahan would take a loyal group of local seniors into the rugged mountains of Galway. “It was always a challenge to start a canvas on a clear day, and then an hour later the rain was sideways”- Karnahan. Many of the paintings the artist created in Ireland were sold in Westport. “In the evenings I would take the paintings down to the local pub and sell them to American tourists, for they thought I was a local”- Karnahan. The artist claims that his style of plein-air techniques that were used in Ireland was based on working fast because of the changing color & light every minute.
The artist started oil painting at the age of eight years old, claiming to have painted his first plein-air painting, of his father’s barn, at age twelve. Throughout his life Karnahan has established himself as the leading artist in the subject of American Railroads, Ireland, and Wild land Firefighting.
To date the artist has painted close to 600 railroad portraits. His work has been exhibited many times at the California State Railroad Museum. In 2005 the artist’s original art was exhibited at the Smithsonian Museum Folklife Festival in Washington D.C., and Kennedy Center. Karnahan has done many commissioned works for calendars, magazines, book covers, and fine art posters.
The current exhibition is located at Sonora Joe’s Gallery in downtown Sonora, 140 South Washington Street, Sonora, California. For more information call 209-533-4455 The Gallery is open 7 days a week, 8AM-7PM

A special artist reception, (meet & greet), will be held in the honor of the artist on Saturday, March 8th, from 6-7pm. Many new works will be on display at this very special showing by the artist.