Burns Night Supper and concert with Bailey’s Mistake and Ross Gregor Adam – Portland, ME

Don’t miss this upcoming event in Portland, ME. Happening on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 184 St John St. Doors open at 5:00 PM.

Celebrate the birthday of Scotland’s National Poet, Robert Burns, with an authentic haggis supper, bagpipes and a full concert.

Celebrate the birthday of Scotland’s National Poet, Robert Burns, with an authentic supper of haggis, neeps (turnips) tatties (potatoes) and a mound of homeade shortbread. A concert by Scottish multistrumentalist Ross Gregor Adam and Maine’s own Bailey’s Mistake will follow.

Held in the upstairs banquet hall at the Portland Eagles Club on St. John Street, there will be a cash bar and free parking.

Bar opens at 5 p.m.
Supper at 6 p.m.
Music at 7 p.m.

Your host, Baileys Mistake, is a not-quite-traditional, Celtic-inspired folk band playing ancient songs of the sea, Newfoundland, Ireland, Scotland and their home state of Maine. Powered by guitar, bagpipes, bass and drums, their totally danceable music invites merry hearts to sing along and feel the power of ancient tradition as it transitions into the 21st century.

Ross Gregor Adam is a originally from the rolling hills of Scotland. With deep roots in traditional Scottish and Irish folk music, he blends timeless tunes of the past with contemporary favorites, which always gets crowds singing, clapping, and dancing.??

Who was Robert Burns and why are you celebrating his birthday?

From the BBC…

Burns Night is celebrated every year on 25 January in honor of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns.

The Ayrshire poet and lyricist died in 1796, at the age of 37, but he is still regarded as the most prominent poet to have written in the Scots dialect.

His most well-known poems include To a Mouse, Address to a Haggis, Tam O’Shanter, A Red, Red Rose and The Selkirk Grace.

Alongside his literary contributions, Burns gained fame for his numerous love affairs and radical political leanings, expressing sympathy for the French and American revolutions.

On the 21 July 1801, the fifth anniversary of his death, his friends gathered at what is now called Burns Cottage in Alloway, near Ayr, where he was born, to honour his memory.

During this gathering, they read aloud some of his works and poetry. One poem, ‘Address to a Haggis,’ was recited as they dined on haggis and a sheep’s head.

In 1802, the celebration was shifted from the date of Burns’ death to his birth date.

Unbeknown to them, this event marked the beginning of a tradition that has endured for 200 years and continues to be celebrated today.