July 10 & 11, 2026
2026 Workshops & Sessions
Michigan Celtic hosts a variety of music and dance workshops on Friday night and throughout the day on Saturday Festival weekend. Workshops include Tin Whistle, Sea Shanty Singing, Bodhran Drum, Fiddle, Step Dancing, Contra Dancing, Ceili Dance, and "Try An Instrument" Workshops. They're led by local experts in their fields, and are open to beginner through advanced-level participants! Try one or many, and bring your own instruments to learn more about how they work.
We also have traditional music and dance performances by many of our workshop leaders and amazing music and dance troupes!
Friday, July 10, 2026
5:30 pm
Ottawa Valley Step Dancing, Dublin Stage
6:00 pm
Beginner Tin Whistle Workshop with Tristan Pruss, Session Tent
Intermediate Tin Whistle Workshop with Laura Romaine, Building G
Beginner Bodhrán Workshop with Elizabeth Collins, Building G
Irish Accordion Workshop with Ian McKimmy, Building G
Ardan Irish Dancers, Dublin Stage
7:00 pm
Intergenerational Irish Dancers, Dublin Stage
7:15 pm
Sein Céilí Irish Dancers, Dublin Stage
7:30 pm
Irish Céilí Dancing, led by Liz Heinzman, Building ?
Traditional Session by Detroit Irish Music Association, Dublin Stage
Saturday, July 11, 2026
11:00 am
Irish Guitar Workshop by Bear Whitmer, Session tent
12:00 pm
Intermediate Fiddle Workshop by Hannah Harris, Session tent
Try An Instrument Petting Zoo by Detroit Irish Music Association, Alcove C-D
Irish Céilí Dancing, led by Liz Heinzman, Dublin Stage
1:00 pm
Uillean Piping by Purcell Irish Pipers of Detroit, Session tent
1:45 pm
Ann Arbor Morris Folk Dancing, Dublin Stage
2:30pm
Celtic Singing and Music Workshop by Roane, Session tent
Motor City Irish Dance performance and set dancing with Gaelic League dancers, Dublin Stage
3:30 pm
Lochanna Móra: Tunes of the Great Lakes, Session tent
4:00 pm
CommonWealth Dance Collective Performance, Dublin Stage
5:00 pm
Sea Shanty Singalong by Banjo Betsy and Friends, Dublin Stage
Folk Songwriting Workshop by Ben Traverse, Session Tent
6:00 pm
Leim Irish Dance, Dublin Stage
Open Traditional Music Session, Session tent
6:45 pm
"What is a folk song?" program with Ben Traverse, Dublin Stage
We couldn't do it without them.
AACTMAD is the Ann Arbor Community for Traditional Music and Dance, a nonprofit participatory membership organization that enriches people's lives and sense of community through traditional music, dance, song, and related arts.
As a longtime supporter of the workshops offered at the festival, they have provided funding, advice, encouragement and many folks who share their passion and wisdom at the workshops.
The Detroit Irish Music Association (DIMA) is a non-profit organization, dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional Irish music and culture in Southeast Michigan. Since 2010, it has proudly been based at the Green Wood Center, on Ann Arbor's east side.
DIMA has long supported and nurtured the Workshops at the festival as well as several generations of traditional musicians in the Detroit area, going back to the 1970's.
Thank you!
