The event formerly known as the Bitterroot Scottish Irish Festival is now the Bitterroot Celtic Games and Gathering, but the basic purpose of the green-tinged, plaid-clad event hasn’t changed.

Keeping valley residents in touch with their Celtic roots is the goal, according to Bitterroot Celtic Society president Ken Schultz. The bagpipe and other bands, Irish and Highland dancing, and traditional Scottish athletic competitions are all just a means to that end.

So, too, are the Scotch whisky and mead tastings, the Irish- and Scottish-inspired food items, and the craft vendors featuring some of America’s finest kilt-makers and creators of Celtic-inspired jewelry.

The event also attracts numerous visitors to the valley, Schultz said, aiding in local tourism marketing.

The figure at the center of it all is the Irishman Marcus Daly, who imported many of his countrymen -- and more than a few Scots -- to work his Bitter Root Stock Farm, and to populate the community of Hamilton to support his enterprises. In fact, the city of Hamilton is named for Scotsman J.W. Hamilton, a Daly employee.

The Daly Mansion and Arboretum grounds are, therefore, the natural place to hold the event, now in its fifth year. The grounds easily accommodate the large expected crowds, which can disperse among the music, dance, athletic, food, informational and commercial vendor venues.

Events will take place this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, August 23-24, beginning at 9 a.m. both days, and running through 10 p.m. Saturday, and 4 p.m. on Sunday.

The event attracts competitors – dancers, musicians, and athletes – of the highest quality, Schultz explained, because they hire judges and adjudicators of the highest quality. All of the events are sanctioned by their respective governing bodies, and the professional competitors can earn points toward overall, international recognition, and win cash prizes at the festival.

In fact, it is that professional, competitive aspect that differentiates this “games” event from similar, but more limited “festival” events in Butte and Missoula.

Visitors will find something to delight all of their five senses throughout both days of the Bitterroot Celtic Games and Gathering.

First of all, there’s the unmistakable sound of the bagpipes, whether solo or massed. Saturday morning will see solo competition among the pipers and drummers, dressed in full Scottish regalia, with trained adjudicators scoring them and offering tips for improvement.

On Sunday, the bands compete, but perhaps the best opportunity to hear them will be at 1 p.m. both days, when the clans, bands, and athletes enter one-by-one in grand procession, for Saturday’s Opening Ceremonies, and Sunday’s Grand Parade of clans and bands.

The Highland dance competition also kicks off Saturday morning, and spectators are invited to watch traditionally-clad dancers kicking up their heels to the sound of reels and jigs.

Then, there are the Highland Games. Your body may ache in sympathy, simply from viewing athletic events the likes of which you’ve never seen before.

Those “heavy” events feature well-muscled men, usually clad in kilts, heaving hammers, stones, and logs for distance, height, or form. Women and children are invited to compete in their own classes, or for fun.

There’s also a chance to tickle your taste buds, with food by local vendors, and a Scotch tasting both days, conducted by a Scotch Whisky Master.

“This is a big deal,” claims Schultz, who said the presiding pourer “knows all about the individual distilleries, the ingredients, and had everybody mesmerized” at previous events. The program also includes a mead tasting, on Saturday.

A concert stage provides the venue for the featured band, Brother, an Australian group that fuses highland bagpipes with percussion and didgeridoo, to create something Celtic-inspired, but altogether original. They’ll play at 3 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, the latter show being part of a free “Ceilidh,” or traditional musical celebration.

The stage will also play host to several more traditional bands, ranging from local Irish band Cootehill, to the Bisceglia Family, a Portland-based band that brings a blend of Celtic, sacred, and folk music to listeners’ ears. Live Celtic music will be onstage almost continuously both days; check the schedule for specific listings.

The event also features a section of vendors, with crafts and creations on Celtic and related themes.

Putting the “gathering” in the Bitterroot Celtic Games and Gathering is the role of the various clans who will have booths at the event. Each of the 16 attending clans honors a family name with Irish or Scottish roots, and will help visitors trace their genealogy. This year’s gathering honors the Mackenzie Clan, with their U.S. branch based in Michigan, holding their national general meeting.

Mounting the event has proved to be a massive undertaking, but Schultz credits a corps of “passionate” board members, and a small army of volunteers, for pulling it off, year after year. It’s a “signature event” for the community, and a boon to tourism, he said, that honors one authentic aspect of the valley’s heritage.

Another small difference this year is that, with the broadening of the emphasis from “Scottish/Irish” to “Celtic,” it may now include the full extent of the Celtic world, including Wales, the Isle of Man, Brittany, Galicia, and Cornwall.

Admission to the event includes Adult, Child, and Military categories, with daily entry or weekend passes available. Tasting packages are also available that include a pint glass, admission, parking pass, and commemorative t-shirt. Parking is extra, at $10 for the weekend, but a free shuttle runs every 15 minutes on both days, from the Hamilton High School parking lot, to avoid congestion and dust issues at the Mansion.

The Daly Mansion will be open for tours on both days.

A full schedule of events, along with admission price information, is available at the event website, www.bcgg.org. For information and advance tickets, you may also call (406) 274-8886.