Lads and lassies of the Flathead Valley turned out for an intimate evening of merriment, poetry, bagpiping, delicious food and whisky toasts for Burns Night at the Conrad Mansion. 

Burns Night celebrates the life and legacy of Scotland’s national poet, Robert “Rabbie” Burns. During his lifetime, Burns composed hundreds of poems and songs , gaining widespread popularity by his late 20s. Burns is described as “both a rebel against the social order of his day and a bitter satirist of all forms of religious and political thought that condoned or perpetuated inhumanity.”  

Burns lived a life laboring on the family farm, becoming a tenant himself following his father’s death, and later, in 1789, an exciseman after he spent any wealth he amassed from his published literary work. Through his many relationships with women, he fathered 12 children. By 1796, life took its toll and he died at 37 years old. 

Traditionally celebrated on the anniversary of Scottish bard’s birth on Jan. 25, 1759, Burns Night supper “is an institution of Scottish life,” according to the BBC, and may be simple gatherings of friends to large extravagant ceremonies. 

“Burns Night, traditionally, was started by his friends celebrating his birthday and reading his poems, going down to the pub to have a party,” Chris Martin of Flathead Celtic Festival said. “That’s what I enjoy about it, getting together with my friends. Hang out; listen to the [bag]pipes.” 

It's also an opportunity to dress up said Martin dressed in full Scottish Highland garb from the laced-up ghillie brogues on his feet to the tam on his head. 

The Flathead Celtic Festival partnered with the Conrad Mansion to host the Burns Night supper on Jan. 24 as a fundraiser for the two nonprofits. It is the second time it has been held at the mansion, which is not without a wee bit of Scottish history through Alicia “Lettie” Conrad’s side of the family. 

“She was ethnically Irish and English and Scotch," Conrad Mansion executive director Brit Clark said. “She moved out West when she was a teenager, but she’s originally from Nova Scotia.”  

Adding that there is at least one reference to her heritage in the mansion. “If you go up to the nursery ... there's a thistle painted into the radiator, a Scottish thistle,” Clark said.  

While guests mingled during cocktail hour, Scottish ancestry and dress was a topic of conversation. Several guests donned tartan kilts, sashes, scarves and pins bearing family crests. Tartan is a twilled, traditionally woolen fabric with a pattern Americans usually refer to as plaid. Scottish in origin, various tartan patterns identify Scotland’s different clans and regions. 

One couple, Ross Koelbel, wore a scarf, and, Patti Barrett, a sash in the Reid family tartan. 

“My great-grandmother, that was her maiden name,” Koelbel said. "My middle name is Reid, my son’s name is Reid, my father’s middle name is Reid.” 

This was their first Burns Night supper, which is something Barrett has wanted to experience for a while. 

“We love the culture ... the Celtic culture,” she said. 

AS THE dinner hour approached, guests were asked to stand as bagpiper Ryan Street led a procession that included host Rob Eberhardy of the Flathead Celtic Festival, who carried cans of haggis on a silver platter, and a whisky-bearer holding two bottles. Arriving at the front of the room, Eberhardy set the platter down to read, “Address to a Haggis," by Burns, eliciting laughter from the dinner guests. 

Although authentic haggis couldn’t be served due to a U.S. ban on one of its key ingredients, sheep’s lungs, guests tasted a variation on the Burns Night culinary centerpiece, with haggis-style Shepherd’s pie appetizers. 

Before serving the main course of lamb chops served in whisky sauce on a bed of roasted new potatoes and glazed carrots and pan-seared salmon with wild mushroom fricassee and potato pancake prepared by the Salty Calf — Martin read the Selkirk Grace. 

“If you didn’t know, Robert Burns was kind of a cheeky fellow and he said grace to Earl of Selkirk. This is it,” he said, reading a modern English version. 

“Some have meat but cannot eat, 

Some have none that want it; 

But we have meat and we can eat, 

So let the Lord be thanked.” 

Throughout the supper, guests were invited to recite from a book of Burns’ poems, such as “My Luve is like a Red Red Rose,” “Tam o’Shanter,” “My Heart’s in the Highlands,” and “Parting Kiss,” with the evening concluding with a rendition of “Auld Lang Syne.” 

One of the entertainment highlights of the evening was the traditional toast to the lassies prepared by Ty Heaton, followed by the lassies’ response prepared by Rob's wife, Shelley. 

"Now, as is tradition, there must be a debate, a battle, a good-natured war, and tonight I stand proudly, bravely, and possibly foolishly, on behalf of the lads,” Heaton said. 

“Don’t get me wrong, the lasses are incredible, truly. Organized, intelligent, emotionally aware, capable of remembering things that happened in 2009 with full-supporting evidence. But lads — lads are different. Lasses plan. Lads wing it,” he said and was met with laughter from the audience. 

Building the case for the lads further with thoughts on logic, reasoning, directions, hunger and emotions, he concluded with a whisky toast 

“So tonight, we raise a glass to the lads for their confidence, loyalty and eternal optimism. And to the lasses for putting up with us, correcting us and quietly running the world while we think we’re in charge,” he said.  “To banter. To lads and lasses alike, sláinte. May we never win an argument but always survive.” 

Standing on the other side of the room, Shelley Eberhardy, set down her glass, preparing to give the lassies response to the lads. 

“First of all, let's thank the lads for their speech. It was heartfelt, it was brave, and like most things lads do, it was slightly longer than necessary," she said to laughter. 

“Now, as tradition demands, I rise on behalf of the lasses. Not to argue, but to clarify the facts. The lads describe themselves as easy going. This is true, as long as they're fed and they're warm and nothing has changed since they last imagined it. They say they're simple creatures. They're not simple. They're high maintenance in disguise," she said, prepared with examples. 

After further elaborating on how observant lads are: their abilities to fix things, multitask, plan and unsarcastically, their loyalty, to “stand beside you, even if they don’t fully understand what’s happening,” she raised her glass. 

“So tonight, we raise a glass for the lasses, for the planning, the patience and the emotional labor no one asked for — but everyone relies on. And to the lads for their confidence, their charm and their miraculous ability to survive entirely because of us. To Burns. To banter. To the lasses — clearly winning —  and the lads bravely accepting it — sláinte.” 

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or [email protected]. 

    Shelley Eberhardy carries a "The Complete Poems and Songs of Robert Burns" during an opening welcome procession at the Burns Night Supper, honoring the life and poetry of Scottish poet Robert Burns, held by the Flathead Celtic Society at Conrad Mansion in Kalispell on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

  

 Ryan Street plays the bagpipes for attendees gathered for the Burns Night Supper, honoring the life and poetry of Scottish poet Robert Burns, held by the Flathead Celtic Society at Conrad Mansion in Kalispell on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

 

 

 Ken Ruprecht enjoys his entree of lamb chops at the Burns Night Supper, honoring the life and poetry of Scottish poet Robert Burns, held by the Flathead Celtic Society at Conrad Mansion in Kalispell on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

    Attendees eat dinner at the Burns Night Supper, honoring the life and poetry of Scottish poet Robert Burns, held by the Flathead Celtic Society at Conrad Mansion in Kalispell on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    A dinner option of lamb chops with whiskey herb saute served on a bed of roasted potatoes and glazed carrots prepared by The Salty Calf at the Burns Night Supper, honoring the life and poetry of Scottish poet Robert Burns, held by the Flathead Celtic Society at Conrad Mansion in Kalispell on Saturday, Jan. 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    Ryan Street plays the bagpipes for attendees gathered for the Burns Night Supper, honoring the life and poetry of Scottish poet Robert Burns, held by the Flathead Celtic Society at Conrad Mansion in Kalispell on Saturday, Jan. 24. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)