BRUNSWICK — The Saltwater Celtic Music Festival (www.saltwaterfest.com) will take place on Saturday and Sunday, July 14-15,  at Thomas Point Beach in Brunswick. Saltwater satellite events will occur around the state during the week leading up to festival.

Saltwater has assembled a top tier line-up of internationally renowned, traditional and contemporary Celtic musicians, including Black 47, Carbon Leaf, Enter the Haggis, The Screaming Orphans, The Makem and Spain Brothers, Aoife Clancy, Sprag Session, and many more. Noted author and recent recipient of the John F. Kennedy National Award, Kevin O’Hara (“Last of the Donkey Pilgrims”), will return as emcee on Sunday and an innovative singer/songwriter/harpist, Maeve Gilchrist, will serve in that role on Saturday.

Satellite events, under separate ticket or free, are scheduled at leading Maine venues during the week leading up to Saltwater, including: Maine Maritime Museum (Bath), Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (Boothbay), One Longfellow Square (Portland), Skye Theatre (Carthage), Unity College (Unity) and others.

Saltwater tickets ($25/$40, one-day and two-day advance price through July 9) are available online www.saltwaterfest.com and at locations listed below, including all Bull Moose Music and Cool As A Moose locations. Children Under 12 are admitted free of charge. Gates open at 1 p.m. on July 14 and 11 a.m. on July 15 for each approximately hours on entertainment. Schedules and updates available online.

More than music

Camping is available at Thomas Point Beach and many artists will be available for meet-and- greets following their performance, next to the festival booth. Numerous food and beverage vendors will be serving throughout the day and Saltwater will feature a roped-off pub tent for those over-21, as well as the return of the highly popular Celtic Merchant Mart.

New this year

Saltwater’s first artist-in-residence, noted hay sculptor and USM professor, Michael Shaughnessy, will be leading some interactive art projects!

There will be a second stage this year, featuring workshops from  experts in various Celtic song and dance traditions.