BY KELLY JAMES
Envision a rolling landscape of rounded mountain tops with trees, livestock, family, legends, and song. Sounds like North Carolina or Scotland. If you’ve been to both locations, you can easily understand why North Carolina was so heavily populated by Scots as the New World became a chance at a fresh start by so many.
If you haven’t been to Scotland, you can get a glimpse and a “taste” of it by way of the annual Burns Night Celebration hosted by the Historic Sharpe House of Statesville. Guests donned in various tartans — many representing their actual lineages — gather to dine on authentic Scottish fare and celebrate the renowned Scottish poet, Robert Burns.
If you aren’t sure who that is, you will certainly recognize one of his most famous works “Auld Lang Syne,” which is traditionally performed as the clock strikes midnight on December 31/January 1 to usher in the new year. Burns Night has become so successful that the Sharpe House is no longer large enough to serves as the venue, thus the event is now held in the Statesville Civic Center.
Robert Burns Night 2024 will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, January 20.
As guests find their places at the over 50 foot dining tables, they will indulge in traditional Scottish dishes such as Haggis, neeps and tatties, cock-a-leekie soup, bread pudding, and traditional Scottish shortbread among other things.
The event has grown in popularity very quickly due to its Sharpe House/Gilded Age style, and is featured in this month’s issue of Our State magazine. Come join the revelry and enjoy Scottish tunes and music, bagpipes and readings of Burn’s works.
Tickets
Tickets, which must be ordered by January 18, are available at EventBrite.com, The Historic Sharpe House Facebook page, Statesville’s Locable Calendar and at Historicsharpehouse.com.
Sharpe House Events
Burns Night is just the first of many events hosted each year by the Historic Sharpe House. There are numerous tea parties to celebrate various holidays, high teas, events to commemorate the long standing historical impact of our community, etc. These teas, harkening back to the Gilded Age (think just prior to Downton Abbey), allow guests to enjoy finger foods and freshly brewed tea while engaging in conversation with friends and other guests. They allow guests to slow down and indulge in a relaxed atmosphere. If you are interested in joining any of the events hosted by the Historic Sharpe House, follow their Facebook page to stay up to date on upcoming gatherings.