Falkirk's 2008 Mod and Fringe has everything from music to football, art to shinty, real ale to real Gaelic speakers, praising poetry to bashing bodhrans – it's all here right on our very doorstep.

Here's a selection of the programme (events are free unless otherwise stated).

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10

5–11 p.m. Bo'ness Real Ale Festival with traditional music from 8 p.m. at Bo'ness Town Hall. Purchase of £3 commemorative glass required on entry.

6 p.m. Pipe band performances, Falkirk High Street.

7.30 p.m. Official opening of Mod 2008 at Falkirk Town Hall.

9 p.m. Opening night ceilidh dance with The Lochaber Ceilidh Band at The Park Hotel. Entry is £6.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11

10.30 a.m.–3.30 p.m. Workshop on planning and painting a landscape with local artist Lesley-Anne Derks at the Park Gallery. Event costs £5 and booking is essential.

11 a.m. Mod Cup, Stenhousemuir FC v Glasgow Islands FC at Ochilview. Tickets purchased at the gate.

Noon Pipe band performances, Falkirk High Street.

2.30 p.m. Shinty Mod Cup at Little Kerse Park, Grange Road. Entry is free.

7.30 p.m. Fiddlers' rally at Falkirk Town Hall. Entry £9 (An Comunn members) £10 (non-members).

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12

11 a.m.–2 p.m. Falkirk Trysts and the Highland Connection conference at Forth Valley College.

3 p.m. Church service at St Andrew's West Church.

6 p.m. Open mic session and live band Shenanigans at the North Broomage Social Club, Larbert.

8.30 p.m. Celtic praise at Erskine Church.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 13

10–11 a.m. Children's creative workshops for Gaelic speakers
at St Francis Xavier's Church
Hall.

10 a.m. to 11.45 a.m. Fiddle masterclass at Callendar House.

2–3.30 p.m. Talk by Morag MacLeod on 'William Matheson's Legacy of Scottish Songs' at Callendar House.

7.30 p.m. Prizewinners' concert at Falkirk Town Hall. £4 (members) £6 (non-members).

7.30–9.30 p.m. Children's ceilidh dance at City, Princes Street.

9 p.m. Unsigned Night: Oi Polloi and Na Gathan at Behind the Wall.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14

2–3.45 p.m. Come and try fiddle workshop for adults at Callendar House.

4–5.30 p.m. Talk by John Reid on local Gaelic place names at Callendar House.

8 p.m. Falkirk Folk Club sessions at Smith's Lounge.

10.30 p.m. Bodega at Behind the Wall.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15

10 a.m.–noon Falkirk fiddle workshop led by Douglas Lawrence at Forth Valley College.

10 a.m.–11.45 a.m. Gaelic singing masterclass at Callendar House.

11 a.m.–5 p.m. Latha Litreachais (Literature Day) at Falkirk Library.

Noon–1.45 p.m. Come and try bodhran workshop for children at Callendar House.

4–5 p.m. Talk by Bill Innes on Gaelic traditional poetry at Callendar House.

4–5.30 p.m. Talk by Essie Stewart on life on the road at Callendar House.

7 p.m. Drama final at Grangemouth Town Hall. £5 (members) £8 (non-members).

7.30–9 p.m. Catriona Watt CD launch at Antonine Hotel.

10.30 p.m. Face the West at Behind the Wall

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16

10–11.30 a.m. Deirdre Graham's Scottish step dance (adult) at Camelon Education Centre.

10–11.45 a.m. Accordion Masterclass at Callendar House.

Noon-2 p.m. Music from Calum Iain MacCorquodale at Farmers' Market, Grangemouth Town Centre.
2–3.30 p.m. Hohner Highlander Harmonica workshop at Callendar House.

4 p.m. 18th century tryst piping competition re-enactment at Falkirk Old and St Modan's Parish Church.

7–9 p.m. Talk by Lewis MacKinnon on 'The Preservation of the Gaelic Language in Nova Scotia' at Antonine Hotel.

8.30 p.m. Janette Geri (in association with Falkirk Folk Club) at Smith's Lounge.

9.30 p.m. Convener's traditional ceilidh with Deoch n Dorus at the Park Hotel. £5 (members) £8 (non-members).

10.30 p.m. Skerryvore at Behind the Wall.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17

10 a.m. Lewis MacKinnon book launch, at the Park Hotel.

10–11.45 a.m. Pipe band drumming masterclass at Callendar House.

1.30–4 p.m. Historic walk around the centre of Falkirk led by Ian Scott of Falkirk Local History Society.

2–3.30 p.m. Talk by Ruairidh MacIlleathain on cattle and dogs in Gaelic proverb and oral tradition at Callendar House.

2–4 p.m. Music from Iain Angus MacLeod and Domhnall Angaidh Matheson.

7.30 p.m. Final concert at Falkirk Town Hall. £7 (members) £10 (non-members).

9 p.m. Music from Alastair Currie and Hector McFadyen at the Hotel Cladhan.

10.30 p.m. Daimh at Behind the Wall.

11 p.m. Final dance with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Iain Angus MacLeod Band, Skipinnish and Skerryvore at Grangemouth Sports Complex. Entry costs £10.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18

10.30 a.m. Parade of pipe bands and massed choirs in Falkirk High Street.