they thought that the presence of the spirits helped their priests to make predictions about the future. To celebrate Samhain the Druids built huge sacred bon- fires. People brought harvest food and sacrificed animals to share a communal dinner in celebration of the festival. During the celebration the Celts wore costumes - usually animal heads and skins. They would also try and tell each other's fortunes. After the festival they re- lit the fires in their homes from the sacred bonfire to help protect them, as well as keep them warm dur- ing the winter months. By: BBC. Samhain has been celebrated for centuries and has its origin in Celtic traditions. It was the time of year when the veils between this world and the Otherworld were believed to be at their thinnest: when the spirits of the dead could most readily mingle with the living once again. Later, when the festival was adopted by Chris- tians, they celebrated it as All Hallows' Eve, followed by All Saints Day, though it still re- tained elements of remember- ing and honoring the dead. To most modern Celts, while death is still the central theme of the festival this does not mean it is a morbid event. For Celts, death is not a thing to be feared. Old age is valued for its wisdom and dying is ac- cepted as a part of life as nec- essary and welcome as birth. While Pagans, like people of other faiths, always honor and show respect for their dead, this is particularly marked at Samhain. Loved ones who have recently died are remem- bered and their spirits often invited to join the living in the celebratory feast. It is also a time at which those born dur- ing the past year are formally welcomed into the commu- nity. As well as feasting, Pa- gans often celebrate Samahin with traditional games such as apple-donking. Death also symbolizes end- ings and Samhain is therefore not only a time for reflecting on mortality, but also on the passing of relationships, jobs and other significant changes in life. A time for taking stock of the past and coming to terms with it, in order to move on and look forward to the future. Ancient Celtic Celebrations Not only did the Celts believe the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead dissolved on this night, Take all of your favorite bands from the last five dec- ades and have them play your favorite songs, all on one stage, all in one night... That is what audiences have come to love and expect from the best Northern Cali- fornia area cover band Tragically White! The band is comprised of five seasoned musicians with a single purpose, your entertainment! As musicians, their histories are rooted in a variety of music from the 70’s & 80's, but this is no “Classic Rocker” band. As fans of music, they have kept their collective ears firmly planted on the pulse of current music trends throughout the years. Individually, they each bring a spectrum of colorful influences to the table... yet remarkably, all together; they are one in Tragically White! Playing your favorite hits from the 60's to the now! The Black Irish Band is using the event to release its 26th album, “Give Us All Yer Whiskey: Songs of Hard-Rock Miners & Hard-Luck Sailors.”The longtime group is delving into Celtic pub rock for the first time, Karnahan said. “It’s songs are about drinking, libation cele- brating life,” he said of the new release. “A lot of the songs date back to the Gold Rush, but we’ve given them new arrangements.”Hailing from the historic Gold Rush Country of America, the four member Black Irish Band have a musical style that is as timeless as the rugged land- scape of the west, a tribute to the people whose lives were spent building the world we now take for granted. The bands musical style captures the spirit of the immigrants of this land, the men and women who tamed the Wild West. CELTIC NEW YEARS CELEBRATION HEADLINES HARVESTMAN BURNING Tragically White Vintage Vandals Black Irish Band The Lynx Show Professor Algernon Miles Smiles SolLuna Roma - Beetle juice Moon Goddess Caravan– Gypsy Dance Marigold Collective– Dia de Muerta Fire Breathing Dragon- Beast Cub Creatures Dance Macabre -Parade of the Dead Pirate Cove Myths & Legends Land Fairy Tale Kingdom Steampunk Lane Warriors Battle Ground Golden Ticket Give-a-way (6-12yr.Old) Costume Contests Slaughtered Lamb Tavern Fun Music Hits the Festival 8th Annual All Hallows News October 22 & 23 2016 Vol.6 FREE Black Oak Stage Saturday 12PM Vintage Vandals 7PM Costume contest 1PM Black Irish Band 730PM Costume contest 2PM Vintage Vandals 9:30-11PM 3PM Black Irish Band Tragically White 4PM Vintage Vandals (Party-dance set) 5-7PM Tragically White Sunday 12PM Vintage Vandals 3PM Tragically White 1PM Tragically White 4PM Vintage Vandals 2PM Vintage Vandals 5PM Tragically White DBI Beverage Stage: Saturday 12:30 Professor Algernon 4:00 The Lynx Hypnosis Show 1:30 The Lynx Show 4:45 Marigold Collective 2:30 Marigold Collective 5:15 The Lynx Show 3:00- Professor Algernon 6:15 Professor Algernon 7:00 The Lynx Hypnosis Show Sunday 11:15 Professor Algernon 2:15 The Lynx Hypnosis Show 12:00 The Lynx Show 3:15 Professor Algernon 12:45 Marigold Collective 4:00 The Lynx Show 1:15 Professor Algernon 5:00-6:30- Trick or Treat with VENDORS – SATURDAY ONLY.