Cóisir

The band, Cóisir (pronounced much like the word “kosher”, it means “party” in Irish), brings together some of Colorado’s top players of Irish Traditional music! The Colorado Scottish Festival will feature the debut of the accordion phenom Johnny B. Connolly as a member of Cóisir, along with the vocal and bouzouki music of Marty Smith, and the tenor banjo playing of Pete Strickler! Cóisir’s music is based in the dance tunes of Ireland, mixed with haunting songs and original tunes!


Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, Johnny B. Connolly has been immersed in Irish traditional music since he was 8 years old. By the age of 15 he was a regular feature around his hometown, performing with musicians sometimes twice his age. He moved to the United States in 1996, and released his first solo album in 2001. During the pandemic, he made Colorado his home base. He was a member of the band, Solas, as well as Nuala Kennedy’s band, and many other collaborations. Johnny still performs regularly around the US and Ireland.


Marty Smith has had traditional instruments in his hands for more than 25 years. He is considered one of the best Irish bouzouki players in this part of the country, and his singing has wowed folks from all over the world! Marty has taught at music camps and school outreach programs across the Rocky Mountain region, both solo and in different collaborations in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado, and has a large following on his YouTube channel.


Originally hailing from Boulder, Colorado, Pete Strickler has been playing Irish traditional music on tenor banjo, bouzouki, tenor guitar, and mandolin since the late 1990s. He has two solo albums out, including 2016’s Giotár (a tenor guitar album) and 2019’s Some Assembly Required (a banjo-centric release). Pete has performed with some of the biggest names in Irish tradition music, including John Carty, John Doyle, and Kevin Crawford! He is also one of the founders of the Portal Irish Music Week camp in New Mexico

Down the Back Lane

Formed in 2010, Down The Back Lane is one of Colorado’s finest bands playing Irish Traditional Music!  The band coalesced out of one of Denver’s longest running Irish sessions, and currently anchors a regular session at the Burns Pub in Broomfield.  You can find the band playing and teaching at festivals and sessions around the Colorado Front Range, the Western US, and Ireland.

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Once Upon a Tune

Born in 2017 from the solid bedrock of Fort Collins’ thriving Irish scene at Mulligan’s Pub, Once Upon a Tune is a lively, traditional, Celtic trio featuring the inspired, creative fiddle musings of Janel Vanderwarf, expressive guitar rhythms of Scott Steidley, and primal bodhran accompaniment of Mary Ellen Watterson.
Janel Vanderwarf picked up the fiddle at the age of sixteen and never looked back. Self-taught, Janel “found the soul” of her instrument at Alasdair Fraser’s world-renowned fiddle camp, Valley of the Moon. A consummate musician and beautiful vocalist, Janel is delightful to watch and will “dance her way” into your heart.
Scott Steidley brings incredible talent to the group with his driving, rhythmic guitar and melodic, syncopated whistle. Scott’s stylistic playing is reminiscent of some of the biggest names in Irish music today.
Mary Ellen Watterson is a classically trained percussionist and has been playing percussion since she was a little girl. From kit to cajon, or djembe to bodhran, Mary rounds out the group with her contemporary take on voicing the bodhran.
Come kick up your heels and clap your hands to this exciting Celtic folk group, Once Upon A Tune!

Skean Dubh

Skean Dubh is one of the most highly sought after acoustic Celtic bands in the Rocky Mountain region. Unforgettable vocals, hauntingly beautiful piping, sophisticated fiddle, and engaging rhythms give the group its distinct voice in modern and traditional Celtic music.

Heritage Irish Stepdancers

In 1983, Molly Bennett, who was then part of an Irish traditional band called St. James' Gate in San Antonio, Texas, met Colm and Eimer Maoileidigh, two teenagers from Ireland at a party her band wasplaying for. Colm and Eimer were looking for students to be in the Irish dance classes they were just starting, so Molly signed up her daugher Ariel. Three months later, she signed up her daughter Alexa, and three months after that she decided that , since she was driving forty-five minutes each wasy for class, she might as well take it, too. And so their stepdancing story began!

NEREA The Fiddler

NEREA The Fiddler combines elegance and strength in her powerful interpretation of traditional and modern fiddle repertoire. A Canadian Folk Music Award nominee, she has performed in 4 continents for audiences as large as 17,000. Her music originally hails from the Celtic traditions of Cape Breton Island, but she now combines traditional and modern fiddling, fusing it with stepdancing, in a way you have never seen before. She has performed at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Bercy Stadium of Paris, Edinburgh Castle, the Canadian Embassy of Abu Dhabi, for the Royal Family and Sheikh of Dubai and the renowned Musica Hall of Beirut, to name a few. NEREA has captivated audiences from Dubai to Paris, Los Angeles to Beirut.

Gobs O’Phun

Gobs O’Phun combines their homespun, living room ambiance with that of a romanticized Irish or Scottish pub experience. Celebrating 29 years, brothers-in-law Denis Sullivan and Martin Lambuth offer the best and most beloved of traditional Celtic folksongs through their seasoned harmonies, backed by guitar, bodhran, harmonica, and signature folksy banter. 

Rebecca & Mouse

Rebecca & Mouse, a husband and wife duo extracted from the Irish rock band the commoners, bring a unique blend of trad Irish tunes, contemporary songs, and original music. Their performances capture the heart of Irish heritage while adding a modern twist. They even perform a Scottish song or two on special occasions!

Queen City Pipe Band

Queen City Pipe band is a Grade III competition band based in Denver, CO!