Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival
- Dates
- Expected September 2027
- Status
- Expected
- Venue
- Historic Downtown Bethlehem
- Price
- Free
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Oct 16, 2026
Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival's 2027 dates haven't been announced yet. The last festival was 25 to 27 September 2026 in Bethlehem, PA. Froligo tracks free-entry details, attendee feedback and travel details.
The experience
What's special
The Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival is the largest free Celtic festival in North America, held each September on the historic streets of downtown Bethlehem, Pennsylvania by the Celtic Cultural Alliance. The three-day festival hosts the U.S. National Highland Games Championship with the caber toss as its finale, pipe band and drum major competitions, Highland and Irish dancing, clan and society tents at Celtic Heritage Hollow, the Showing of the Tartan parade, whisky tastings and Celtic bands across multiple stages
What people love
Longtime visitors, some coming for around 25 years, call it a great time and single out the Showing of the Tartan parade, the bagpipe competition, the Highland Games caber toss and the dogs. Some regulars feel the festival has shrunk from its peak, with fewer vendors and bands and Celtic food selling out early, and first-timers are advised to bring cash and prepare for heat and limited shade
The games
Heavy athletics
The festival hosts the U.S. National Highland Games Championship, with heavy events including the 16 lb hammer throw on the Highland Field, and the caber toss is the finale of the games
Pipe bands & Highland dance
Competitions include a Pipe Band Competition and a Drum Major Competition, alongside piping and Highland dance
Clans & genealogy
Clan and society tents gather at Celtic Heritage Hollow, and the Showing of the Tartan parade is one of the festival's highlights
Taking part
Beyond the field, the festival fills multiple stages with Celtic and Irish bands and Irish dancing, and adds an Irish Soda Bread muffin baking contest, a Haggis Bowl, a Celtic Poetry Competition, a Youth Fiddle Competition, whisky master classes and the Morning Star Rotary 5K
See it before you go
A look at the Highland Games in general, not this specific event.
Getting there
How do I get to Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival?
By car
Most people drive to Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival. Check current road and traffic conditions before you set off, and see parking below.
By train
No direct passenger rail to the venue was found. Drive, fly in, or use a shuttle instead.
By bus & public transit
No scheduled intercity bus or public transit route to the venue was found. Drive, fly in, or use a shuttle instead.
Taxi & rideshare
Taxis and rideshare such as Uber and Lyft can be limited near the venue, especially late at night or in rural areas. Agree a pickup point and time in advance and keep a backup plan.
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire
If you are hiring a car, it is worth checking parking near the venue before you go.
Search car hire →Car hire links may earn Froligo a commission; they never change the price you pay.
Where
Map shows the centre of Bethlehem. The venue's exact point is not confirmed yet.
Venue
The venue has its own page with capacity, accessibility and parking.
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Budget stays 2
1500 McArthur Road, Whitehall, a short drive from downtown Bethlehem. The festival's own preferred-partner listing quotes a $99 rate with a full hot breakfast
≈ $99 / night approx, book direct with the hotel
Check rates →3191 Highfield Drive, Bethlehem, a short drive from downtown. Hot continental breakfast included, per the festival's preferred-partner listing
Check rates →Mid-range hotels 2
2031 Avenue C, Bethlehem. Sits directly across from a stop on the festival's own downtown shuttle route, per the festival's official hotel partner page. All-suite, with a full kitchen in every room
Book direct →200 Gateway Drive, a short drive from downtown Bethlehem and the festival grounds. Free hot breakfast
Check rates →Luxe hotels 1
437 Main St, right in Historic Downtown Bethlehem where the festival takes place. Built in 1922, USA Today's Best Historic Hotel/Resort in America for five years running, walking distance to every festival stage
Check rates →Airport hotels 3
9000 Bartram Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19153
Link coming soon8900 Bartram Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19153
Link coming soon8800 Bartram Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19153
Link coming soonAirbnb & private camping
Celtic Classic bills itself as the largest free Celtic festival in North America and draws large crowds to a compact downtown footprint over the same September weekend every year, so expect tighter Airbnb availability and some surge pricing close to Main Street
Search Airbnb →Not a natural fit. This is a downtown street festival with no camping component, but a Hipcamp search covers the wider Lehigh Valley for travelers who would rather camp further out and drive in
Search Hipcamp →Browse all hotels near Historic Downtown Bethlehem →
Hotel links may earn Froligo a commission; they never change the price you pay.
Accessibility & comfort
What the organiser or venue publishes about getting around, and what they do not.
The Celtic Classic publishes a short Access/Special Needs section within its festival information page at celticfest.org/2021-celtic-classic-festival-information. It says the grounds are wheelchair accessible but warns that the large size and natural terrain can make the grounds difficult to navigate with a wheelchair.
Read the full notes
The event runs on the streets of Historic Downtown Bethlehem, so it is street based rather than a single enclosed site. Accessible parking is limited street handicapped reserved spaces on Conestoga Street and Lehigh Street, and a state issued placard is required to use them; no distance from those spaces to the festival is given.
Handicapped accessible restrooms are stated to be at all restroom locations. Admission is free, so no companion ticket policy arises, and none is published. A paid Celtic Classic Shuttle runs from 1525 Valley Center Parkway on Saturday and Sunday only at 6 dollars per day for ages 6 and over, picking up every 20 to 30 minutes and dropping riders on the festival grounds, but the organiser does not state whether the shuttle vehicles themselves are wheelchair accessible, so that needs confirming direct.
No accessible viewing platform, accessible camping, ASL or sensory space information is published
Confirm your specific needs with the organiser's access team before you travel.
Checked 2026-09-03 · source
Pricing
Got fresher info? Tell us, a real person checks every tip, and we love fresh info.