If you’ve ever wanted to drink an apricot peach ale while a pipe band rips through a reel so intense it could summon the ghost of Braveheart, congratulations because you’ve found your moment. The Dunedin Celtic Music & Craft Beer Festival (903 Michigan Blvd) returns Saturday, November 22, at Highlander Park—because there can be only one festival where beer and bagpipes collide with this much force.
Hosted rain or shine by the Dunedin Scottish Arts Foundation, this one-day, outdoor extravaganza features a lineup of regional, national, and international Celtic acts, including Mec Lir, Jesse & Kevin, and The Devil’s Brigade. Expect bagpipes. Expect drums. Expect teenagers from Dunedin Highland Middle School playing like they’ve been training for this since birth. Because they probably have.
Come for the bagpipes, stay for the buzz
And while the music may hit in a way that feels genetically engineered to wake your ancestors, the beer list could hold its own in a bar brawl. Dunedin Brewery leads the charge with sips like Redhead Ale and Beach Tale Brown Ale, backed by familiar faces like Guinness, Jai Alai, Crooked Thumb’s Strawberry Shakedown, and a suspiciously charming Harp. Whether you like your beer fruity, fizzy, or “Oh God, that’s strong,” there’s something to get you nodding along to the fiddles.
Hungry? You better be. Vendors like Cameron’s British Foods, Westchase BBQ, Mediterranean Corner Grill, and The King’s Nuts will be slinging snacks that pair perfectly with a pint and a kilt. And don’t sleep on the artisan booths either. Where else can you impulse-buy a handmade shortbread tin and a custom Celtic cigar case?…