The 55th annual Glendale Ceilidh Days gets underway this weekend with an open house at the Father John A. Rankin Cultural Centre at 1pm and a KitchenFest square dance at the parish hall featuring Donna DeWolfe, Allan Dewar, and Sandy MacDonald.
Saturday, July 9th, there will be games and activities for the youth, from 10am to 1pm, followed by a visit at Mamie’s Alpaca Farm at 84 MacEachern Road.
The highlight event of the weekend is the Annual Outdoor Concert on Sunday, beginning at 2pm on the Parish grounds, next to St. Mary of the Angels church. This concert will feature some of Cape Breton’s best musicians and entertainers including Howie MacDonald, Dawn and Margie Beaton, Johnny, Sandy and Jeffrey MacDonald, Stephanie MacDonald, Colin Grant, Kenneth MacKenzie, Broussard family, Debbie Campbell, Rita Rankin and more. There will be hotdogs, pop, tea, and oatcakes sold on the grounds to make it a family picnic style concert.
This year the Glendale Outdoor Concert will be dedicated to the memory of Frank Casey, who died in June 2015. Casey was born in Edmonton, Alberta, and moved to Glendale from Sarnia, Ontario, with his wife Dolores, who was raised in Glendale. Frank and Dolores opened their home to the community for numerous events, but they were especially known for their house parties. Frank was an inspiration to all who knew him for his passion for music, drama, and cultural heritage, and how humble a man he was for his stature. He displayed his talent in a number of plays with the Celtic Hood and Under the Map, but also in his weaving of the cloth. Casey led the community in Celtic Colours events, choir singing, participated in Ceilidh Days concerts, and was the organist for St. Mary of the Angels church services. The community is so proud to dedicate the 55th Outdoor concert in his honour.
