ASCI 2025 Robert Burns Night Supper
5pm Saturday, January 25, 2025
Biltmore DoubleTree Hotel, Asheville, NC

EVENT INFORMATION:

Watch highlights from 2024 Burns Night

Summary

  • After an over 40 year career of weekly Celtic roots music radio broadcast including NPR’s Thistle and Shamrock, we are excited that Fiona Ritchie will be traveling from Scotland to join us in-person to celebrate Burns Night and the bard of Scotland’s 266th birthday.
  • Proceeds raised from sponsorships and our 2025 Burns Night Fundraiser charity auction & raffle will be contributed toward regional hurricane disaster relief.  Proceeds from ticket sales will be contributed toward the Thistle and Shamrock CD archive project at UNCA.
  • Entertainment includes piper Alex Stewart, fiddler Andrew Finn Magill, and dancers from the Carpenter Academy of Irish Dance.
  • Burns Night Seminar will be co-hosted by Fiona Ritchie during a cash bar reception with complimentary warm Scottish appetizers.
  • Optional Whisky Tasting will be hosted by Highland Brewing’s Oscar Wong.
  • Event includes a full traditional Burns Night ceremony, three course dinner with selection of main course, and wee drams of single-male Scotch Whisky to toast the haggis, and an after-hours Cèilidh.

Burns Night Fundraiser

  • Please consider participating as a bidder, donor, or sponsor to our 2025 Burns Night Fundraiser which is an online auction and raffle.
  • All proceeds from the 2025 Burns Night Fundraiser will be used for hurricane disaster recovery by contribution to regional charities.
  • Separate from this fundraiser, all proceeds from Burns Night ticket sales will help fund the Thistle and Shamrock Archive Project [link pending] as part of the Celtic roots music center at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.  
  • Sponsorships are available for $300 to $2500 or you may contribute any amount you wish. 
  • If you would like to become a donor, sponsor, or have other questions, please feel free to contact our volunteer fundraising coordinator Jennifer Collier Wilson <gdcollierwilson@gmail.com>

Support Burns Night

  • Please request event promotional cards to share with friends. 
  • Please download, print and post the Burns Night flyer at your school, work, or shop.
  • With two-clicks you can easily help promote this Burns Night even if you can’t attend by responding to this Facebook event and invite your friends.  Just expressing interest really helps to feed the algorithm and is an quick and free way to help ASCI promote this event.  Thank You!
  • Consider your organization being a Facebook co-host of Burns Night and we would be glad to reciprocate for your events if desired.   We are also open to other co-promotional efforts on social media.
  • Contributing promotional material to our event brochure table is free if you have a Celtic or Scottish related event, organization, or business to share with our guests. 

Hotel Booking deadline is January 3, 2025

  • For those who wish to stay overnight after Burns Night, a special group room rate of $99 (plus tax) is available at the Biltmore DoubleTree.  
  • Reservation Method:  In order for the guests to make their individual reservations contact the Hotel’s Reservations Department no later than 4:00pm on Friday, January 3, 2025.  Reservations can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling toll free: DoubleTree Reservations Desk: 1-800-222-TREE (1-800-222-8733). Please refer to the Robert Burns Night Supper. An additional option is to contact the DoubleTree by Hilton Asheville Biltmore directly at (828) 274-1800.

Evening’s Program: 

Reception – 5:00 pm – Hotel Lobby

  • Guests are greeted by piper Alex Stewart and fiddler Andrew Finn Magill playing during the reception.  Name tags, printed programs, and fundraiser participation information may be programs obtained at the reception desk.
  • Enjoy warm Scottish appetizers from St. Andrews Square in Waynesville.  Credit card or cash bar will be open throughout the evening. Wee drams of Scotch will be served to toast the haggis, or please purchase the beverage of your choice beforehand.
  • Guests are asked to stand at their assigned seats in the dining room by 6:40pm.  All guests are invited to join the Parade of Tartans, and participants should assemble at 6:40 pm outside the dining room.

Charity Fundraiser – Now until 9:30 pm

Whisky (and Gin) Tasting – 5:30 pm Stuyvesant Room

  • For those who have purchased whisky tasting tickets, and all those who wish to observe, pioneering local craft brewer, Oscar Wong, of Highland Brewing, will lead a tasting that will reflect the bending of tradition in the world of Scotland’s distilling innovation and evolving social preferences. Two traditional single-malt Scotch whiskys and two gins will be presented for your introduction to the new world of Scottish liquor. You are in for a welcome surprise even if you are not a Scotch or gin enthusiast. 
  • The cost for this optional tasting is $50 and tickets are limited to 30 participants and are sure to sell out.

Burns Night Seminar – 5:30 pm Vanderbilt Room

  • Fiona Ritchie and Doug Orr will lead a seminar available to all guests offering a deeper appreciation and better understanding of Burn.

Opening Ceremony – 6:45 pm Burghley Ballroom

  • Henchmen invite guests to stand by their assigned seats by 6:45 pm. Guests joining the Parade of Tartans should assemble at 6:40 pm in the west rear entrance lobby near the dining room.
  • Piper leads the Parade of Tartans to “Scotland the Brave” which is a Scottish patriotic song and one of several considered an unofficial national anthem of Scotland.  The original author of this classic is lost to history.
  • After the Henchmen have secured the room, the Reverend, Fraser Penny, of the Dunkeld Cathedral, gives the “Selkirk Grace” from Scotland.  On a visit to the Earl of Selkirk’s home, Burns recited an old version of a traditional Scottish grace.  The guests were impressed and Burns published it as the “Selkirk Grace” in their honor.
  • The Henchmen, escort the Chef carrying the haggis, neeps, and taties with the piper playing “A Man’s, A Man for A’ That” (1795), expressing Burns’ egalitarian ideals that one’s value is character and honesty, not wealth or social class.
  • The Rear Henchman, presents “(Address) To a Haggis” which was written by Burns in 1786 to celebrate haggis as a symbol of Scots patriotism.
  • The Whiskey & Quaich Bearers, pour a wee dram to toast the haggis.  The Bards, lead us in toasting the haggis: “To the Haggis, To the Haggis, To the Haggis”
  • Master of Ceremonies Doug Orr welcomes guests to be seated and introduces Co-Host, Fiona Ritchie, and Co-Chair, Rick Lutovsky to provide greetings, opening comments, and reminder of our online fundraiser.

Dinner Service Program and Entertainment – 7:15 pm Burghley Ballroom

  • Tonight’s menu is Cock-a-Leekie soup, selection of main course 1) Herb crusted chicken breast with Alabama white BBQ sauce, 2) Pan seared salmon served with honey whole grain mustard glaze, or 3) Vegan medley all served with Potato Gratin, and Sticky Toffee Pudding.  Water, coffee and tea are available on beverage tables in the dining room.
  • Master of Ceremonies introduces Asheville Sister Cities Inc. president, Ken Nelson, to welcome the guests and describe the ASCI program and recognize our fundraising sponsors and donors.
  • Fiona Ritchie presents the Immortal Memory oration on Burn’s life to emphasize the reasons why his memory is, and should be, immortal.
  • Our past committee leaders and members are recognized and remembered.
  • Piper Alex Stewart, fiddler Andrew Finn Magill, and dancers from the Carpenter Academy of Irish Dance will perform.
  • Fiona Ritchie will present recorded performances from our friends in Scotland including Pete Clark.
  • “Toast to the Lassies” and “The Reply” made by Patrick and Jennifer Collier Wilson.  
  • Hosts, bards, piper, and fiddler lead “Auld Lang Syne”.  This Burns classic exhorts to toast to the memory of old friends whom one may have forgotten. Translated into more than 40 languages, it has spread throughout the world to celebrate Hogmanay, New Year, ceilidhs, and as a farewell to many gatherings.

After-Hours Cèilidh – 9:30 pm Dining Room Lobby 

  • 2025 Burns Night Fundraiser auction and raffle winners are announced. 
  • Guest DJ will provide rousing Celtic music.
  • Credit card or cash bar will remain open.
  • Admission to Ceilidh is $20 without dinner ticket.

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