Scottish-American Society of Michigan to host Michigan's 'official' Tartan Day Celebration April 2

8th annual Tartan Day event will benefit the Alma College Scholarship Fund

The schedule is set and tickets are now available for Michigan’s “official” and original State-wide Tartan Day Ceilidh (pronounced Kay-Lee) hosted by the Scottish American Society of Michigan on Saturday, April 2 at Monaghan’s Knights of Columbus, 19801 Farmington Road in Livonia. The event will feature:
  • The Alma College Pipe Band
  • Detroit Caledonian Pipe Band
  • Raggle Taggle Band
  • Highland Dancers
  • Celtic Fiddling
  • Scottish Country Dance Demonstration
  • Full Meal With Two Meats

Tickets are only $25 for adults and $15 for kids under ten. Doors open at 6:00 and no reserved seating is available. There are only 300 tickets available for this annual event and it will sell out! For tickets and more information go to www.scotsofmichigan.com. This is Michigan’s “official” Tartan Day Ceilidh as decreed by the Governor’s office in 2010.

Tartan Day commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, which asserted Scotland's sovereignty over English territorial claims, and which, was an influence on the American Declaration of Independence. In 1998 National Tartan Day was officially recognized on a permanent basis when the U.S. Senate passed Senate Resolution 155 recognizing April 6th as National Tartan Day. This was followed by companion bill House Resolution 41 which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 9, 2005.

“People join us from all over the state to celebrate Tartan Day with us,” says the group’s founder and event organizer, Franklin Dohanyos. “The hall only holds 300 and we expect to fill it to the rafters. One of our primary missions is to help others and be active in the community. To that end, partial proceeds from this event will go to benefit the Alma College Scholarship Fund. The Scots have a long, proud history in Michigan and we are carrying on that tradition.”

On Tartan Day, April 6th 2009 the formation of the Scottish American Society of Michigan was announced – a new and different Scottish group whose goal is preserving and furthering Scottish heritage throughout the state of Michigan. The group is a registered 501(c)(7) and holds monthly meetings at The Commonwealth Club of Michigan located at 30088 Dequindre Road in Warren, Michigan. The group has already raised money for charitable organizations and individuals with needs.

People interested in joining or attending meetings of the Scottish American Society of Michigan, or subscribing to the group’s newsletter can visit www.scotsofmichigan.com or www.michiganscots.com.

For more information and interviews, please call Franklin Dohanyos at 248/399-1101, visit www.scotsofmichigan.com, or send e-mail scotsofmi@yahoo.com.