hi folks,

Spring is not far away.....really, I promise! As the winter comes to a close it is time to start thinking about your Nova Scotia Holiday. Have you started to make plans?

Camping, sailing, cycling, hiking, sightseeing, whalewatching, beachcombing....you can do all of these things in beautiful Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia also offers hundreds of festivals and events each year with most of them during the summer and fall. I attended the Celtic Colours International Festival last fall and recently added several new pages to my website.

Celtic Colours Festival

This is a fabulous festival held over 9 days each October on Cape Breton Island. Musicians come from Cape Breton, mainland Nova Scotia, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, USA, England, Finland and other parts of Canada.

There are concerts, workshops, demonstrations, community meals, hikes, whalewatching, and boat tours across dozens of communities in every corner of the Cape Breton. There is something for everyone.

I attended the Rising to the Rafters concert with Cape Breton's Dwayne Cote, Roger Stone & the Men of the Deeps. They were joined by Ireland's David Power & Triona Marshall. The backdrop of this concert was St. Joseph Parish in North Sydney. The perfect setting.

Next was United in Music. The Cape Breton Chorale was featured in this concert. I can't say enough about how great they were. They brought the crowd to their feet. Add Cape Breton fiddler, Brenda Stubbert & North American fiddle champion Calvin Vollrath to the stage & you have an awesome show!

Brenda's daughter, Tracy, even jumped onstage near the end to treat us to some stepdancing.

The next concert was very special. Masters of Melody highlighted hometown girl, Kimberley Fraser, to the crowd in Sydney Mines. She was visually moved and put on a great show with pianist, Mac Morin. This concert also showcased Allan MacDonald from Scotland & Dave MacIsaac from Halifax.

This show also brought newcomers to Celtic Colours from Newfoundland & Labrador. Rum Ragged were fantastic and the crowd loved them.

Gaelic College JAM sessions

One of the great things about Celtic Colours is the wide variety of musical opportunities available to everyone. One that I came across this past year were the daily JAM sessions held at the Gaelic College in St. Ann's. Bring your instrument and join in for some tunes.

Hike the Coxheath Colours & Ceilidh

Hiking is one of my passions so when I heard about the hike in the Coxheath Hills I knew I had to attend. It was basically a ceilidh in the woods with musicians placed throughout the trails playing for the hikers.

It was appropriately called Hike the Coxheath Colours & Ceilidh. There was more music in the community hall afterward with refreshments. The folks here were quite proud of their hiking trails. An awesome event.

Big Square Dance on the Little Narrows Ferry

How does this sound? Square dance lessons, lunch and then a square dance on the Little Narrows Ferry. Very unique I would say. I set off for Little Narrows to see for myself.

It was wonderful and it sure looked like those square dancing on the ferry were having a good time. Make sure you watch the video at the bottom of the page. It wasn't just simply a square dance, it was a Big Square Dance.

15 'tips' for planning your Celtic Colours

I must admit that sometimes I feel that planning my time at Celtic Colours overwhelming simply because there are so many options. There are tons of activities and they all look great. So, I came up with a list of '15 tips' that should help with your planning. Let me know how it goes.

Your vacation story

Nova Scotia e-books

Order a copy of my e-book: 44 Awesome Things on the Cabot Trail plus 14 awesome tips for along the way. This indispensable guide will give you a ton of information about what to see and do on your tour of the Cabot Trail.

Are you planning to spend some time in Halifax and Cape Breton for your vacation? Check out my 2nd ebook:

Itineraries for 3 days in Halifax & 3 days in Cape Breton.

I am very proud of both of my ebooks. I hope they are useful to you during your Nova Scotia Holiday. You can get a special 'bundle' deal if you want to purchase both. Go to my website and check it out!

Doers & Dreamers 2019 Guidebook

Have you ordered your Nova Scotia Doers & Dreamers 2019 guidebook yet? I have.

Call TOLL FREE and get your copy 1-800-565-0000.

Trip Advisor & Halifax

Seriously, Trip Advisor is a great tool when planning a trip. I use it all the time and try to write reviews when I can.

Use this Trip Advisor link to make your accommodations booking. I earn a small commission with each reservation made via my site and this helps me pay my expenses.

I would really appreciate it!! Cheers!!

Don't forget to follow me on social media!

Well, that's it for now. See you next month. Best to everyone,

Ann Marie, Editor, Your Nova Scotia Holiday