LEWISTON — The University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College will be holding a Maine Scots-Irish Heritage Experience event  from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 10.  The event is free and open to the public and takes place in the upstairs lounge. The campus is located at 51 Westminster St. in Lewiston.

The event’s special guest will be BBC Radio Ulster “A Kist o Wurds” host and author Alister McReynolds.

The day’s events will include live music with performances by Castlebay, Maine Public Broadcasting’s Frank Ferrel and the Maine Highland Fiddlers. Lectures by McReynold’s and Maine St. Andrew’s Society Ulster Scots Project Chairman, John Mann, and a panel discussion of the exciting collaborative archaeology project on the Kennebec River featuring guest speakers and USM professor and archaeologist Barry Rodrigue, archaeologists Pam Crane and Peter Morrison, principal of Robbins Historical Research Jay Robbins, and humanities student Rebecca Graham. A coffee social hour will provide opportunities to meet the authors and presenters.

McReynolds has written extensively on Scots-Irish history and culture, and in particular about the achievements of the diaspora in the United States. His book, “Legacy” on the subject of Scots-Irish achievement in America, was published in June 2009. He has lectured at many venues across the United States, including at The Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. His articles have been published in numerous journals including, “The Ulster Scotsman” and “The Pine Tree Highlander” as well as in The Belfast Telegraph and “The Newsletter.” He is a regular contributor to various media projects including the weekly programs on BBC Radio Ulster.

For more information about the event please Rebecca Graham at rebecca.graham@maine.edu or Barry Rodrigue at 753-6574.