Toe-tapping good time: Cape Breton's KitchenFest! Celebrates Gaelic culture
'We've come here every year for ten years for the Celtic Colours,' said Jean-Louis Bergeron, who was visiting from Sherbrooke, Que.
While Bergeron is a veteran of the well-known Celtic Colours International Festival held every October, this is his first time coming to Cape Breton to experience KitchenFest! – a nine-day event to kick off summer with shows all over the Island.
'The people are very friendly,' said Bergeron. 'The scenery is beautiful and the music is great, so what else can you ask for?'
Nova Scotia's former premier Rodney MacDonald is now the CEO of the Gaelic College and heads up KitchenFest!
'There are over 80 shows around Cape Breton Island,' said MacDonald.
MacDonald says tourists from all over come to check out the shows. Proof of that could be found in the parking lot Monday, as license plates from all over the U.S. Eastern Seaboard were on display.
Proceeds from the festival go into the programs offered at the Gaelic College.
'Any dollars raised through the festival go towards our programs to teach youth, whether it's language, music, dance or craft,' said MacDonald. 'And that's important – it's part of our mandate.'
Shirley Hefferon and Ian MacDonald came to Monday's concert from nearby Baddeck, N.S. They said the festival was worth checking out as locals because of its relaxed pace.
'It was great. Good meal, too', Hefferon said.
'We enjoy it, we'll be back,' Ian Macdonald added. 'They're doing a pub night here on Thursday – we'll do that one.'
Organizers say more than 90 per cent of performers at KitchenFest! are from Cape Breton and eastern Nova Scotia.
'We're wrapping up on Saturday,' MacDonald said. 'There's a lot of different shows that day. In particular, the Glendale Outdoor Concert. It's a longstanding concert, and I encourage people to check it out.'
For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
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