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Seventh Annual Tartan Day on Ellis Island Set for April 6, 2008 Program to Include Music, Dance and Film Screenings "Tartan Day on Ellis Island" returns for its seventh annual celebration on Sunday, April 6, 2008. The Clan Currie Society again plays host to a broad range of outstanding performers who will present Scotland's "portable culture" – the music, dance, and folk tales that were brought to this country by Scottish immigrants.
The growing roster of performers includes, The New York Celtic Dancers, Grammy Award-winning fiddler, Lisa Gutkin, and "Pipes of Christmas" favorites Susie Petrov and Christopher Layer. Also joining the company are Scottish balladeer Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews, kilted juggler John Grimaldi and the St. Ann's of Hampton (NJ) Pipe Band. In addition, several Scottish-themed films will be screened in the Ellis Island Theater. Titles include, "A New Way to a New World" from the critically-acclaimed "Island Tapes" program, "Scotland: The Pride, The Passion, The People" from VisitScotland, "The Gathering 2009" which outlines the upcoming international clan gathering in Edinburgh and Clan Currie's award-winning documentary, "The Crafter's Song."
"We're so grateful to Ellis Island for having us back for a seventh year," said Robert Currie, president of the Clan Currie Society. "This event provides an important opportunity to recognize the vast contributions of Scots and Scottish-Americans to the development of the United States. Our program for 2008 represents some of the best of demonstrations of Scotland's wonderful music, dance, and storytelling heritage and has been designed to be fun for the entire family." Ellis Island is a fitting place to observe Tartan Day. The island and its historic buildings represent America's "Golden Door." From 1892 to 1954, more than 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island. Although many Scots arrived during the colonial period of our history – helping to build the new nation - an additional half-million Scots came through Ellis Island. It has been estimated that 40% of Americans today can trace at least one ancestor's entry into the United States through Ellis Island.
The Tartan Day event runs from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. There is no admission charge to the Tartan Day events or the immigration museum. Passage to Ellis Island is by ferry and there is a nominal transport fee. Passenger ferries run from Battery Park in New York City and Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. For complete ferry schedules to Ellis Island, visit: www.statuecruises.com. For additional information about Clan Currie and the Ellis Island Tartan Day observance, contact the Clan Currie Society at (908) 273-3509, via e-mail at clancurrie@mail.com or by visiting their Web site at www.clancurrie.com. About Tartan Day on Ellis Island Tartan Day on Ellis Island is one of the principal Scottish heritage events in the United States. Describing the program, noted Scottish journalist and author Roddy Martine reported that of all the Tartan Day events held in the United States, the Ellis Island observance has, "stood out as a beacon of what USA Tartan Day is all about: the emigrant ancestors of ordinary Americans who over three centuries crossed the Atlantic Ocean to create the world's greatest democracy." The Clan Currie Society began its successful collaboration with the Ellis Island Immigration Museum in 2002 in the coordination and sponsorship of their first Tartan Day celebration. Clan Currie and the National Museums of Scotland joined forces to host the traveling exhibit, "Home and Away: Highland Departures and Returns." Click here for a photo gallery of past Tartan Day programs
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