New Casper Celtic Irish Festival seeks city support for July event

Amber Christiansen, speaking for the newly formed Casper Celtic Irish Festival, asked the council on Feb. 4 for city support as the group prepares a debut event for July at the Nicolaysen Museum.

“We are a brand new nonprofit, 501(c)(3), and we are bringing Irish culture and music to Casper this summer,” Christiansen told the council, outlining plans for two stages, artisan and food vendors, whiskey tasting and a headline act, Colum Keegan, a former member of Celtic Thunder.

Christiansen said organizers hope to attract at least 500 attendees with a goal of 2,000 and noted the group is a strong candidate for a grant through the Irish government’s consulate in San Francisco. She asked for the council’s help with promotion and local sponsorships to encourage private-sector backing.

Council response

Councilor Pollock said she had met with Christiansen and suggested the event could be “a worthy candidate for a proclamation” from the mayor. Vice Mayor expressed personal support. Several councilors and staff asked Christiansen to leave contact information with city staff so the city can follow up.

Why it matters

If funded and promoted, the organizers say the festival aims to bring tourists and cultural programming to Casper and to grow the event over 5–20 years. The organizers also signaled intent to pursue external grant funding and to market the event regionally.

Next steps

Christiansen was asked to share contact information with the city manager and chief of staff so staff can follow up on possible proclamation or other city support; no formal council action was taken during the meeting.