Uncle Hamish and the Hooligans Celtic Rock Band will perform on the Masonic Amphitheatre stage on Saturday, October 6. The event includes music, food, demonstrations and games that represent the cultures of the people that settled the Alleghany Highlands. It is the hope of the Masonic Theatre Preservation Foundation that Heritage Day will become an annual event that will expand to include more cultures of the area.

Masonic Theatre Presents Heritage Day, a Celebration of the Cultures that Settled the Alleghany Highlands Saturday, October 6 marks a day of honoring the heritage of the Highlands   On Saturday, October 6 from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., a special event will take place at the Masonic Amphitheatre. Heritage Day, a celebration of the cultures that settled the Alleghany Highlands will feature music, food, demonstrations and games that represent the Irish, Scottish, German and American heritage of the Alleghany Highlands. The Masonic Theatre Preservation Foundation received a matching grant in 2012 from the town of Clifton Forge and the Virginia Commission for the Arts that specified funding for a Heritage Event. The event-planning committee has planned this event so that it can grow to not only honor the heritage of the settlers, but to expand next year and include more cultures that have representation in the history and in the current, diverse population in the area. The bands that will be showcased during Heritage Day include Shenandoah Pipe & Drums, the Edelweiss Band, Patrick O’Flaherty, Cranruach, and Uncle Hamish and the Hooligans. Food vendors will sell food that represents the different countries of heritage and a beer and wine tasting garden will also be featured. The Genealogical Society will give short presentations on how to research one’s heritage and will also make the timeline of the area--dating back to the 1700’s--that has been recently developed, available for attendees. The Historical Society will have displays and answer questions about the area’s history and the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Tourism will be continually showing the DVD of the History of the Alleghany Highlands. In addition, demonstrations and displays of hand crafts that were, and still are popular in the Highlands will be shown from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. Featured demonstrations include blacksmithing, chair caning, spinning and weaving, stained glass and fused glass, knitting, quilting and basket making. Demonstrations will be set up at the Clifton Forge School of the Arts, on the Amphitheatre grounds and in the section of Church Street (which will be closed during the event) between the Amphitheatre and the Art School. Tickets are on sale now at Heirlooms, Club Car, Old Forge Coffee Co., Shoe Box & Sports Center and Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and sell for $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for seniors and military, $3.00 for students, children under six free, and a special family ticket (two adults and two or more children) sells for $15.00. For more information on the Historic Masonic Theatre and Masonic Amphitheatre, visit www.historicmasonictheatre.com

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