47th Robert Burns Night, February 22

Saturday, February 22, 5:30 p.m.

Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf, 1777 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf IA

Presented by the Scottish-American Society of the Quad Cities, an eagerly anticipated evening of traditional pageantry and heritage returns to the Quad Cities in the 47th Robert Burns Night, the February 22 event at Bettendorf's Isle Casino Hotel boasting live music, delicious food, and a celebration of the 224-year-old Scottish tradition honoring Celtic legend Robert Burns.

Best known for writing the New Year's Eve standard "Auld Lang Syne," Burns was a Scottish poet and lyricist who was born in 1759 and passed in 1796. Widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and celebrated worldwide, he is among the most acclaimed of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is in a "light Scots dialect" of English, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. Burns also wrote in standard English, and in these writings, his political or civil commentary is often at its bluntest. Burns is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement, and after his death, he became a great source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism, and a cultural icon in Scotland and among the Scottish diaspora around the world.

Over the course of his short life, Burns wrote more than 550 poems, songs, and letters in his native Scots dialect. Beyond "Auld Lang Syne," his other well-known works include "To a Mouse," with its memorable line “the best-laid schemes of mice and men / Go oft awry"; the comic tale of "Tam O'Shanter"; and the romantic song “My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose.” Burns nights have been celebrated since 1801 in Scotland after nine of the poet’s friends gathered to honor him five years after his untimely death at age 37.

Entertainment for the 47th Robert Burns Night includes piping in the haggis, performances by the Black Hawk Pipe and Drums Band, music by the Barley House Band, a Scottish dance lesson, and the traditional Grand March. Guests are also invited to check out the Society’s raffle table, and the celebration will close with a sing-along of "Auld Lang Syne." A special room block is available at the Isle Casino Hotel, and the event is open to all, Scottish heritage and kilts welcomed but not required.

Adult dinner options include lemon-dill salmon, a flat-iron steak/honey chicken duo, and vegetarian lasagna. All dinners include a haggis starter, salad, sides, and shortbread cookie for dessert. Admission is $55-60, with a special $18 child's menu available for ages 12 and under, and all orders are due by 9 a,m. On February 14. For more information on, and tickets to, the Isle Casino Hotel event, visit SASQC.com, and guests can also contact Burns Night event coordinator Judy Hawthorne at thornebj67@gmail.com, (563)391-9971, and (563)370-4078.