celtic music interpretive centre

We only stopped here for an hour or so, as we were on a time crunch. However, we had a lunch and listened to great music. Then we perused the CD offerings, and got excellent help from Brittany. She took a lot of time to explain the different artists and the type of music, which then enabled us to pick a couple cd's that we love! If we ever get the opportunity to go back to Cape Breton (we live in Washington state!), we will definitely go back to the Interpretive Center, and hopefully get to listen to a variety of live music.Thank you for such a great experience - one of the top highlights of our trip to Cape Breton.

The Centre is the home for weekly Ceilidh entertainment with music and dancing. It is also a great place for food.We were there during the Celtic Coulours International Festival and visited the Centre for a free jam session which was part of the Festival. There were about 20 musicions who ranged in age from 10 to 60+. They played fiddles, guitars and a piano. One of the group would start a song and others, sometimes all would goin in to play. It was a very entertaining afternoon. Plan your visit when they have a Ceilidh scheduled or just stop in for lunch in a area that does not have many good restaurants.

When we attend Celtic Colours, Thursday evening, Guitar Summit here, we always have dinner at the centre before we attend the show. The food is delicious and the kitch party music is fabulous! Love this place and wish we could go there more often!

We discovered the Centre last summer on our Cape Breton tour. The food was excellent as well as the music. We came back to Cape Breton in Oct last year & are currently there for the Celtic Colours Festival. Our first stop on the island is the Celtic Music Centre. Very friendly people, good service, great music at lunch and one of the best sources for CDs of the Cape Breton artists. Don't miss the hiking trails nearby. The trailhead at the parking lot leads to the main Coastal trail (from southern end up to Inverness) and a short trail to the local beach. I hope to get back there in a couple of days to have our 3rd lunch there of this trip to the Celtic Colours FestivalDuring the festival, there is also an afternoon jam session with the instructors and students of the .fiddle school that they run that week.

Thank you for your comments.We make ongoing efforts to improve our service andoffer a true authentic experience for our locals and visitors alike.Please come visit us again!

Thank you for the comments.Conversing and interacting with people in the room is actively encouraged. The ambient noise threshold is certainly lower than some other places locally. While this helps you hear the music, it does appear to visitors that it's required.Some patrons infer that the live music is a 'performance' and treat the ceilidhas a concert whereas we intend for it to be relaxed and interactive. It is something we have noticed and are working on concepts to help visitors enjoy authentic local music, food and conversation.

Closed for the weekend when we got there even though they said ceilidh every Sunday. Perhaps they had their reasons but it would have been helpful to get the word out, as people do make plans around this kind of thing.

Thanks for the review. Music is certainly a medium that helps people enjoy their day.Please come back again!

Thank you. Our new menu for 2014 has been getting great feedback.Thank you to the Kilted Chef for his expertise in putting that together!

Thank you for visiting.We do receive a lot of visitors throughout the tourist season. The English translation for the word "ceilidh" is to visit, or a gathering, and as a result, it becomes an umbrella term for a lot of public functions in our region. A typical ceilidh usually has music and food/drink, and can also include dancing, storytelling and singing, so by all accounts, you experienced this at both places. If you were to visit during our Sunday Ceilidh, you would be exposed to more of a local audience and the 'feeling' in the room would be a bit more enthusiastic as most of our locals are very interested in dancing as well, and this elevates the energy in the room.Please come back again sometime and we can help you through a square set. It certainly adds to the experience.

Thank you! We appreciate return visits when you are in the area.See you again soon.

Thank you for the kind words. Please visit us again!

Visiting Nova Scotia for the first time and was really looking forward to visiting this spot. We arrived (four of us), and decided to stay for lunch. We noticed a bus tour was currently eating and asked if there was room and was assured there was. We were seated, and then promptly ignored by all the wait staff. After about 15 minutes I asked the hostess for some menus, and she had to get the menus herself. Was ignored by all wait staff by another 15 minutes despite trying to get their attention. I understand being busy. If one waitress (they were all women at the time) had come over and said "listen, we are slammed with a bus tour, I can't see you for 20 minutes but enjoy the music and I'll get back to you" that would have been great. Instead, we got one very dirty look from one of the waitresses and at that point my father-in-law walked out and we had to follow. I was really disappointed, and was prior to this experience enjoying the performance and wanted to get a few CDs from the store. We had no choice but to leave. In my entire two week visit to lovely Nova Scotia, this was probably the worst experience. I'd love to try it again, but my family isn't so into it.

Thank you for coming to see us and taking in the ceilidh. Front row seating is normally coveted by our guests. It does in fact get you up close and personal with the musicians. We do have extra seating along the perimeter of the room that would allow you the opportunity to queue for a table location more to your liking.Thank you for the great comments.

Thanks for stopping by to take in a ceilidh. We are happy that you were able to hear about our event and would like to participate.Our performance area is well equipped for the events that we stage. We usually handle well over 100 patrons at tables and with bench and chair overflow seating which is in line with other venues in our area that offer similar performances. The events are usually very well attended by our locals and we like to think that it provides an even great experience for someone to enjoy.Please come see us again, and you may get the opportunity to take part in a local square set as well.