The North Texas Irish Festival is a celebration of amazing music, dance, and cultural talent to celebrate the rich tradition of Irish and Celtic culture held at Dallas' Fair Park each March. Tens of thousands of people will come from across Texas and other parts of the country to visit one of the largest Irish festivals in the U.S., a family-friendly event that features live music, dancing, storytelling, chef demonstrations and more on 13 stages throughout Fair Park. Attendees will also enjoy horse shows, sheepherding demonstrations, beer and whiskey tasting, genealogy research opportunities, shopping, animal rescue groups, child-friendly entertainment, and free arts and crafts for the kids.
SCMA has long wanted to establish a Cultural Center to honor all of the Celtic Nations. Funding for this is high on our list of needs, as is funding to continue to broaden and improve our signature event, the North Texas Irish Festival. This event is of paramount importance to us as the revenue from it allows us to hold additional events as well as support other organizations that fulfill our mission statement.
The Southwest Celtic Music Association was formed to study, perform, promote and preserve traditional Celtic music, dance and culture in the Southwest.
The word "Celtic" refers to the culture that developed in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, Galicia, and the Isle of Man. Much of the traditional music and dance that has evolved in the United States and in many other English-speaking countries in the last 250 years has developed from Celtic origins.
The Southwest Celtic Music Association (SCMA) is the producing organization for the North Texas Irish Festival. More than 1000 volunteers will help in the organization, promotion and execution of this year's festival. The first such festival was held on March 5, 1983 at the legendary Nick Farrelly's Lounge on Oak Lawn and was billed as the First Texas Ceili. That event was so popular that it has continued every year since on the first weekend in March as the North Texas Irish Festival. Shortly after the first festival, the all-volunteer Southwest Celtic Music Association was formed. In 1984, the event was moved to Fair Park and its name changed to the North Texas Irish Festival. The Southwest Celtic Music Association is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit cultural corporation headquartered in Dallas, TX, and serves a five-state regional area. The organization maintains a web site at www.scmatx.org.
Our Needs
Simply put, we need funds.
SCMA has long wanted to establish a Cultural Center to honor all of the Celtic Nations. Funding for this is high on our list of needs, as is funding to continue to broaden and improve our signature event, the North Texas Irish Festival.
NTIF is of paramount importance to us as we have long supported other non-profit organizations that help fulfill our mission statement, and the revenue from NTIF allows us to hold additional events as well as continue support for those organizations. Funding received from NTX Giving Day is one of a very few ways we have to maintain our level of support.
The Southwest Celtic Music Association is an organization that does not condone or tolerate discrimination of any kind. We use our platform to include global communities by sharing work, education, music and art that represents multiple heritages. Through our signature event, the North Texas Irish Festival, we strive to build programs that help share knowledge, build acceptance and celebrate differences.
Organization name
Southwest Celtic Music Association
Causes
Arts & Humanities
Operating Budget
$250,000 - $499,999
Counties Served
Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Grayson, Tarrant, Wise
BIPOC Leadership
Neither/None
Address
233 Yorktown