I'm not sure what Buddy MacMaster has to do with Irish dance schools, but if you're a fan of Cape Breton fiddling, you don't need much excuse to hear him. And you ought to go, because he's not getting any younger.

I was in Inverness, Nova Scotia for the town's centennial. One of the regular events of the Inverness Gathering is "Buddy in the Park," a very informal concert right on Main Street. Lots of enjoyment but little concert-reverence; people sitting, "visiting," mingling while Buddy played.

Off-topic, I just missed the other centennial event I really wanted to participate in: "The Little Short Fat Guy Downhill 500 Meter Race." Yep, 500 meters, downhill, with rides back to town so you wouldn't get worn out.