The folk duo Castlebay will present a program of music and lore celebrating the Celtic harvest holiday of Lughnassa. Songs and tales with Celtic harp, fiddle, guitar and woodwinds will weave a colorful tapestry of Celtic tradition. The celebration will be on Saturday, Aug. 2 at 7 p.m. at the River Arts Gallery in Damariscotta.

The music and lore of the ancient British Isles and Ireland is alive with imagery associated with the turning points of the year and our relationship to the natural world. In addition to the well-known solstices and equinoxes, the ancients marked the cross-quarter days, or halfway points between, with appropriate revelry. Lughnasa (Loo-NAHS-ah), or Lammas occurs in early August, halfway between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox, and celebrates the beginning of harvest, especially the grain.

The name Lammas is derived from “loaf mass” and bread baked with the first grain was shared in a ritual. Feast and famine have shaped human history and Celts have always reveled in the ripe grain and warm sun of August, as the harvest scythe sings of survival. There's hay for the livestock, bread for the table, and barley for the brewer, an alchemist who turns grain into liquid gold and warms the wintry soul with summer's fire.

Abundance and prosperity are glorified at great agricultural fairs as resources are honored. The splendor of the bountiful cornucopia of wheat, fruits and vegetables and prize livestock are displayed for admiration. It is also a time for forming and renewing personal allegiances in preparation for winter. Hiring fairs and matchmaking parties were common. There, laborers could seek employment (with food and lodging) for the year to come, or tryst with a sweetheart, becoming partners for life or simply till next year's fair.

Feats of strength and competitions such as horse racing emphasized masculine vigor. Farmers and plowmen are particularly honored at this time. Each of the cross-quarters has a guardian and for this celebration the guardian is Lugh, the golden benevolent hero. Lugh's mother, Ethniu, takes her place as the harvest queen ensuring the continuity of abundance.

Castlebay's concert will celebrate the season by presenting a lively picture of these events and their significance today. Admission is $10 for adults to enjoy an evening of magic and revelry.

The River Arts Gallery is located at 241 Route 1. For more information, call 207-563-1507 or email the musicians at castlebay@castlebay.net.