Summer Solstice: A Celtic Celebration returns to the Capitol on June 22

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Warren County Public Library will host Summer Solstice: A Celtic Celebration on Monday, June 22 at 7 p.m. at the Capitol.

Now in its fifth year, the annual concert invites audiences of all ages to celebrate the longest day of the year with an evening of traditional Celtic music, poetry and dance.

According to the library, the program features returning performers Rebecca Baumbach, Skip Cleavinger, Pat Broaders and John Skelton. Together, they will perform on a variety of traditional instruments, including Irish flute, tin whistles, Galician pipes, Irish fiddle and bouzouki.

Baumbach and Cleavinger are familiar to local audiences through the library’s Winter Solstice concert series, held each December at the Capitol since 2019. Their summer counterpart has now also become a well-attended tradition, drawing hundreds each year.

In addition to their performance work, Baumbach and Cleavinger recently launched Southcentral Kentucky Celtic Arts, an initiative introduced during the 2025 Winter Solstice concert. The program is designed to expand access to Celtic music and culture in the region through classes and community-based programming.

Earlier this year, SKy Celtic Arts began offering beginning tin whistle and bagpipe classes at Christ Episcopal Church, with eight-week sessions providing foundational instruction for new musicians. The initiative is continuing to grow, with plans for additional opportunities in the near future.

Upcoming offerings include bi-monthly Irish and Scottish repertoire classes for melody instruments at the SOKY Center, which are expected to be free and open to the public. Additional programming, including Irish fiddle instruction and Irish and Scottish dance classes, is also in development.

The June 22 concert reflects that same spirit of participation and community. The evening typically concludes with an informal gathering in Fountain Square Park, where attendees are invited to follow the musicians outside and take part in a traditional dance around the fountain.

The event is free and open to the public, with tickets available at warrenpl.org.