WELSHfest 2015
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 14
Museum Square, 133 South Marble St., Rockmart
Information: welshfest.vpweb.com
It’s March so naturally your mind turns to the — Welsh? That’s right, the Welsh. Did you know that many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, including Thomas Jefferson himself, were descendants of Wales? Even President Barack Obama has Welsh blood.
While many of you will be pulling out the kelly green, folks gathering in Rockmart on March 14 for WELSHfest will be wearing plaid, as in kilts. (There’s even a “Men in Kilts” contest where the fellow with the bonniest knees will be crowned.) WELSHfest is the only Welsh-centered festival in Georgia, and the largest in the Southeast, said Karl Welsher of Dunwoody, president of the St. David’s Welsh Society of Georgia.
Although most members live in the metro area, the festival is in Rockmart because the Welsh were the original inhabitants of the area.
Q: Your last name even has “Welsh” in it. Is that just a coincidence?
A: Yes.
Q: Doesn’t St. Patrick’s Day overshadow your celebration?
A: March 1 is the feast of St. David, patron saint of Wales. And yes, we are always overshadowed by our Irish compatriots. Our last names are names like Jones and Williams and Hughes. We assimilate much quicker into the general population than the O’Briens and McDaniels.
Q: Are you as loveable as the Irish?
A: We are even more loveable. Everyone started out as being Welsh. The Scots are Welsh people who learned to climb mountains. The Irish are the Welsh who learned to swim.
Q: Is that true?
A: No.
Q: What are the Welsh known for?
A: We are known for our singing — everyone knows that Tom Jones and Charlotte Church are Welsh. We are poets. We are known for our language. The Scots, the Irish and the Welsh are the original Celtic people of the British Isles. Of the three languages, Welsh is the oldest. We are a very cultural people even when we are working class. And we have lots of sheep.
Q: Have you ever been to Wales?
A: I try to go every two to three years. It is gorgeous. We have beautiful Mount Snowdon and the Wales Coast Path where you can walk the length of the coast and see beaches, cliffs and castles. Wales has more castles per square mile than any place in the world.
Q: How did WELSHfest get started in Rockmart?
A: Four years ago, we had a festival to celebrate the opening of the city’s new historical museum. The Welsh were the original inhabitants of Rockmart, both as farmers and slate miners. Each year, we have grown and added things. You’ll see a lot of kilts and hear a lot of singing.
Singer/songwriter David Llewellyn of Nashville will be our headliner. We have a tearoom so you can get the best of Welsh tea and scones and cakes. We will have medieval re-enactors doing a demonstration of the Welsh Long Bow, which won the Battle of Agincourt and Wales for the British Crown in the 1400s.
Q: What about the “Men in Kilts” contest?
A: All the Celts wear kilts. At the festival, we have a contest where the title of the “Bonniest Knees in Rockmart” is determined. Miss Flossie Ferguson, well into her 80s, is our judge. She is blindfolded and does in fact check out all the knees. Before the contest, we pass the hat and the winner receives the money and gives it to the charity of their choosing.
Q: What makes knees bonnie?
A: That is something that Miss Flossie decides. She has never told us what criteria she uses. Her decision is final.
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