The Newport Yachting Center event venue and marina will soon bring a shamrockin’ good time to the waterfront with the Newport Celtic Rock Festival and its line up that features the Dropkick Murphys, Eileen Ivers, The Town Pants, Screaming Orphans and Celtica-Pipes Rock!

Headlining the festival will be the popular Celtic punk band, The Dropkick Murphys, who formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in the mid-1990s.  After tirelessly touring in and around Boston for years, the band received national recognition when they released the hit single “Tessie” in 2004.  The group followed up that success with the release of the album, The Warrior’s Code, in 2005 that included the tune “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” which was featured in the Academy Award-winning movie The Departed and went on to become one of the band’s biggest singles and an anthem for Boston sports teams.  The group’s latest album, Signed and Sealed in Blood, made its debut at #9 on the Billboard charts this year.

A nine-time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, musical star of Riverdance and founding member of “Cherish the Ladies,” the Grammy award-winning Eileen Ivers has established herself as the preeminent exponent of the Irish fiddle in the world today.  Called the “the Jimi Hendrix of the violin” by The New York Times, Ivers’ recording credits include over 80 contemporary and traditional albums and numerous movie scores, including Gangs of New York.  Her recent release, entitled Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, continues to display why Ivers is hailed as one of the great innovators and pioneers in the Celtic and World music genres.

The Vancouver, Canada-based band, The Town Pants, combines aspects of Irish traditional, acoustic pop and roots Americana to create their own unique, fiery brand of “West Coast Celtic”.  Known for its legendary live shows, they performed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and are a favorite at Celtic and Irish festivals throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.  The band’s latest release is 15 marking the band’s fifteenth anniversary.

The Screaming Orphans are the dynamic, multi-instrumental sister group from Ireland's County Donegal who are popular due to their infectious blend of edgy melodic rock, pop harmonies and electric live shows.  The Orphans latest album is entitled, Sliabh Liag.

Celtica-Pipes Rock! features a unique sound of blazing bagpipes, drums and the power of a rock band.  The band’s set list includes a blend of Scottish jigs and reels, passionate ballads, rebellious drinking songs and ancient love songs, as well as rock classics such as “We Will Rock You”.  The group’s latest album is Oceans of Fire.

The day-long toast to Celtic culture also includes plenty of Celtic cocktails and Guinness with pointers on how to “Pour Your Own Pint”, spirited step dancers, Newport’s own AOH Pipe & Drum Band, Celtic cafes offering hearty traditional Irish pub fare including fish & chips and corned beef sandwiches and Celtic Rock Shoppes featuring clothing, jewelry, unique and hard-to-find gift items and much more.  A Rainbow’s End KidSTOP for the wee ones will let them show their Irish colors by decorating a top hat or a step-dancer’s headdress and meeting the Irish Wolf Hounds!

In addition to the Newport Celtic Rock Festival, the Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival will return this Saturday, August 10th. Please visit www.newportwaterfrontevents.com for all the details.  The 2013 Nantucket Nectars Sunset Music Series is also currently in full swing at the Newport Yachting Center.