Wednesday marked the kickoff of the inaugural Crossroads International Celtic Festival, and the festivities will continue throughout the remainder of the week as 18 towns in Franklin and Oxford counties celebrate the music and art of Celtic culture.

Phill McIntyre, the artistic director of the festival, said that although the festival is celebrating its first year, it’s has been in the making for more than 10 years.

“We were inspired to do this by the Celtic Colours International Festival that runs out of Nova Scotia,” McIntyre said Wednesday morning. “I visited that festival back in 2000, and noticed that they used a decentralized festival model, which means instead of using one location, they spread it out over several different locations.

“They are the standard bearer for this model of festival, and as far as Celtic festivals go, they are the top one,” he said.

McIntyre, along with Executive Director Deborah Sutton and several other members of the festival board, are looking for their festival to have a similar impact in Western Maine.

“Over the past two years, we’ve been working pretty seriously with the economic development groups, the performing arts centers and the tourism groups in the Western Maine communities to try and get the ball rolling,” McIntyre said. “Right now, we’ve organized the largest arts collaboration between towns in Western Maine. There are 18 different locations with all sorts of different musicians, art shows and other events scheduled.”

McIntyre said he’s excited to get people traveling to the different towns in Western Maine to see what they have to offer.

“The festival is a great way to highlight all the nooks and crannies of our region that people might not know about,” he said. “We strategically placed the venues so that people would have to travel to different areas. It gives them a chance to see the scenery.”

As an example, McIntyre pointed out a Thursday event in Carrabassett Valley, where those participating will have the opportunity to hike three miles of the Appalachian Trail to reach the Stratton Brook Hut, which will feature musical performances.

McIntyre also lauded the economic development group Envision Rumford for organizing a street fair that will celebrate the town’s heritage by zeroing in on their music, crafts and food.

“We asked them if they could come up with something, and they really embraced the idea and jumped right on it,” McIntyre said. “The festival celebrates their town, while also tying in with the Celtic Festival.”

McIntyre said that at the end of each day during the festival, a Festival Club will be held from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. in the White Cap Lodge at Sunday River in Newry.

“The Festival Club is an event where people can come and watch various musicians perform Celtic music,” McIntyre said. “It should be a really good time.”

With the festival in full swing and ending on Sept. 15, one may think that McIntyre and the rest of his crew would settle down a bit before thinking about a follow-up to the festival in 2014, but McIntyre laughed and disagreed.

“We’ve already set Sept. 10 to 14 as the dates for next year’s festival,” McIntyre said. “There are acts that are already committing to performing for us. For us, this was just the inaugural festival. We want this to stick around for a long time.”

mdaigle@sunjournal.com

Crossroads International Celtic Festival Schedule

Thursday, Sept. 12:

* Peaks with Perks, music performance by the Gawler Family, 2 p.m., Stratton Brook Hut, Carrabassett Valley, $30 for concert only, $110 for concert, dinner and overnight stay.

* Working Together, music performances by Sprag Session and Cassie and Maggie MacDonald, 6:30 p.m., 68 Pottle Road, Oxford County Fair, Oxford, free admission for the concert, $5 for fair admission.

* Celtic Reflections, music performances by Long Time Courting, Chrissy Crowley, Owen Marshall and Frank Ferrel, 7 p.m., Brick Church for the Arts, Lovell Village, $15 tickets.

* Celtic Cabaret, music performances by Squid Jiggers, Kathleen Gorey-McSorley and Jacqueline Schwab, and a show by magician Scot Grassette, 7 p.m., 49 Franklin, Rumford, $15 tickets.

* Acadian Showcase, music performances by La Virée, Boréal Tordu, the Lina Boudreau Trio and Les Hay Babies, 7 p.m., Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center, South Carthage, $20 tickets.

* Fiddles on the Frontier, music performances by Buddy MacDonald and Rachel Davis, Don and Cindy Roy, and Dwayne Cote and Duane Andrews, 7 p.m., Eustis Community Building, Eustis (Stratton), $15 tickets.

* Festival Club (Thursday), music performances by various unannounced artists, 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday River, White Cap Lodge, Newry, $20 tickets, $10 admission if you bring a ticket stub from a Crossroads performance.

Friday, Sept. 13:

* Going Back to the Future, music performances by Sprag Session, Dominique Dupuis and Long Time Courting, 7 p.m., Deertrees Theatre, Harrison, $20 tickets.

* Tradition Bearers, music performances by The Press Gang, the Gawler Sisters and Cassie and Maggie MacDonald, 7 p.m., Celebration Barn Theater, South Paris,  $15 tickets.

* History Takes a Turn, music performances by Stanley & Grimm and Hunter Engstrom, T’Acadie, Kathleen Gorey McSorley & Jacqueline Schwab, and Franklin County Fiddlers & Burton MacIntyre, 7 p.m., Outdoor Center at Sugarloaf, Carrabassett Valley, $15 tickets, $5 admission for children 15 and under.

* Boys Will Be Boys, music performances by David Munnelly & Mick Conneely, Squid Jiggers and Ten Strings and a Goat Skin, 7 p.m., Phillips Area Community Center, Phillips, $15 tickets, $5 admission for children 15 and under.

* A Touch of Class, music performances by the Maeve Gilchrist Trio, Dwayne and Duane, and Matt Heaton, 7 p.m., Emery Community Arts Center, Farmington, $20 tickets.

* Festival Club (Friday), music performances by various unannounced artists, 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday River, White Cap Lodge, Newry, $20 tickets, $10 admission if you bring a ticket stub from a Crossroads performance.

Saturday, Sept. 14:

* Music New Brunswick: Our Roots are Showing, music performances by Arsenault, Dominique Dupuis and the Lina Boudreau Trio, 7 p.m., Rumford Falls Auditorium, Rumford, $15 tickets.

* Hands Across Borders, music performances by David Munnelly & Mick Conneely, Boreal Tordu, Buddy MacDonald & Rachel Davis, and Stanley & Grimm, 7 p.m., Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center, Fryeburg, $15 tickets, $5 admission for children 15 and younger.

* Music for the Soul, music performances by the Don Roy Ensemble, Matt & Shannon Heaton and Friends, and Chrissy Crowley & Owen Marshall, 7 p.m., Old South First Congregational Church, $15 tickets, $5 admission for children 15 and under.

* Lumber is King, music performances by Lissa Schneckenburger, the Maeve Gilchrist Trio and Frank Ferrel, 7 p.m., Church of the Good Shepherd, Rangeley,  $15 tickets, $5 admission for children 15 and under.

* Step Into the Past, music performances by the Gawler Family, Northfield, and Edith & Bennet, 7 p.m., Washburn-Norlands Living History Center, Livermore, $15 tickets, $5 admission to children 15 and under.

* Festival Club (Saturday), music performances by various unannounced artists, 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday River, White Cap Lodge, Newry, $20 tickets, $10 admission if you bring a ticket stub from a Crossroads performance.

Sunday, Sept. 15:

* Closing: Families Bringing It All Together, music performances by Arsenault, Alba’s Edge, Ten Strings and a Goat Skin and special guests Ed Pearlman, and The Laura Scott Dancers, 2 p.m., Bingham Auditorium, Bethel, $15 tickets, $5 admission for children 15 and under.

Crossroads Community Events Schedule:

Thursday, Sept. 12:

* First Stratton-Eustis Area Quilt Show, 11 a.m., Stratton Plaza, Eustis (Stratton),  free to the public.

Friday, Sept. 13:

* Celtic Friday Kingfield Artwalk, featuring art exhibits, sales and free live music, 2 p.m., Kingfield galleries and shops, Kingfield, free to the public.

* Cape Breton Jam & Tea, jam session by Buddy MacDonald, Rachel Davis and Chrissy Crowley, 2 to 4 p.m., The Bethel Inn, Bethel, free to the public.

* Farmington Historic District Walking Tour, 3 p.m., Titcomb House Museum, Farmington, $5 per person.

Saturday, Sept. 14:

* Rumford Heritage Festival, music performances, craft fair and ethnic food fair, 10 a.m., downtown Rumford, Rumford, free to the public.

* Narrow Gauge Railroad Rides, 11 a.m., Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad, Phillips, $6 per adult or child 13 and older, $1 from ages 6 to 13 and under, and free for children 6 and under.

* St. Andrews Gathering, music performances by Maine Highland Fiddlers and Maine Harp Circle with dancing, 12 p.m., Rangeley Town Park, Rangeley, free to the public.

* Autumn Pie & Arts, 1 p.m., Washburn-Norlands Living History Center, Livermore, $5 for afternoon activities, $12 including dinner.

* Farmington Historic District Walking Tour, 3 p.m., Titcomb House Museum, Farmington, $5 per person.

* Contradance and Dessert Bar, music performances by Twisted Strings, 6 p.m., West Farmington Grange, Farmington, $6 tickets, $5 for the dessert bar.

* Bean and Casserole Supper, 4:30 p.m., Old South First Congregational Church, Farmington, $8 for adults, $4 for children aged 3 to 10, and free for children 3 and under.

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