The music ranks among attractions at Scottish Games and Celtic Festival.

Dozens march to the passionate cry of bagpipes. Hammers and stones fly. Celtic dancing breaks out. Dogs herd fuzzy sheep. Whiskey and beer flow.

In addition to these essentialingredients, the Scottish Games and Celtic Festival features three unique Celtic musical acts: Seamus Kennedy, Steven McDonald and Peter Daldry.

Native Irishman Kennedy headlines, telling off-color jokes with a glint in his eyes before he rocks a rendition of the classic Irish folk tune, “Finnegan’s Wake”. He plays raucous interpretations of classic Celtic tunes such as “The Hills of Granemore,” “The Rose of Aranmore,” and originals like his adaptation of The Sound of Music’s “Do Rei Me (The Beer Song)”: “Do buys beer/ It buys me beer/ Rei, the guy who sells me beer/ Me, the one who drinks my beer/ Fa, a long way to the John,” he chimes.

From the other side of the equator comes New Zealand singer/songwriter Steven McDonald, who played in a number of rock bands for three decades before switching to Celtic, tracing his heritage to a clan in Scotland.

His original hard rock song, “Highland Farewell,” is a shredding anthem about the eviction of Scottish clans from their homes in the Highlands in the 16th century under English decree. Meanwhile, Scotland transplant Peter Daldry’s music represents the melancholy tradition of an embattled people with his stirring, anguished take of the traditional Scottish ballad, “Massacre of Glencoe.” The song is about the slaughter of a clan of Scotsmen who offered hospitality to their unsuspected murderers. His voice softly quakes on the line, “Like murdering foxes amongst helpless sheep/ They murdered the house of MacDonald.”

More festival events include kids’ games, crafts for sale and historical re-enactments of life in 16th-century Scotland. Mary Queen of Scots makes appearances with more than 50 of her ladies in waiting, dressed in exquisite costumes. A much anticipated whisky tasting seminar will be held on both days of the festival for $30 per person. New this year, “A Piping Hot Dinner” on Saturday from 7-9pm at Britannia Arms in downtown Monterey offers more live Celtic music and 20-percent off meals with a ticket to The Scottish Games. A never-ending supply of Guinness will flow like lifeblood.

SCOTTISH GAMES AND CELTIC FESTIVAL 9am-6pm, Saturday and Sunday Aug. 6-7 and Monterey County Fair and Event Center, 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey. $15-$30. 682-2022, www.montereyscotgames.com