BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A popular Lehigh Valley festival is ditching the dollar and going cashless in 2023.
The Celtic Cultural Alliance announced Monday that this year’s Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival will be a cashless operation.
“We received requests from vendors to consider this while watching cash receipts drop each year as compared to electronic payments,” said Executive Director Jayne Ann Recker.
- Bethlehem's Celtic Classic is going cashless in 2023
- Organizers say it will cut down on people standing in long lines and give people more time to enjoy the festival
- A promotional campaign will highlight the change from now through September
“In our decision-making process, we observed other events and venues make the change with great success,” she said.
Organizers said people have come to expect cashless operations since the pandemic, and it will cut down on people standing in lines, giving everyone more time to enjoy the festival.
The alliance is planning a promotional campaign to announce the change that will run through the start of the event in mid-September.
The 36th Celtic Classic will take place Sept. 22-24 and organizers will begin making announcements on the performer lineup in May.
Celtic Classic joins other popular Lehigh Valley festivals and venues in moving to cashless operations.
In 2021, Musikfest moved to a cashless option for food and beverages using gift card technology for a quick payment process.
Coca-Cola Park also went cashless during the pandemic and Lehigh Valley IronPigs fans can now use cards to pay for parking and game tickets, and at food, beverage and merchandise locations.
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom also stopped accepting cash at its South Whitehall Township park last season.
The park moved to either credit or debit cards or smart device with Apple Pay or Google Pay. It accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express credit cards, and most debit cards.
For more information on the Celtic Classic and other CCA events, visit www.celticfest.org or contact info@celticfest.org.
