about 6,000 visitors each summer. Almonte Celtfest The Almonte Celtfest has been held annually in Almonte's Gemmill Park since 1997. The festival's goal is to "celebrate and promote the Celtic heritage of the Ottawa Valley through music and dance." Puppets Up! The popular Puppets Up! festival, which shut down in 2017 after a 12-year run, was revived in August 2022. Noreen Young is the festival's creative director. Schools Almonte has three elementary schools: R. Tait McKenzie Public School Naismith Memorial Public School Holy Name of Mary Catholic School Almonte and District High School serves the town of Almonte and much of the surrounding rural area. The Almonte campus of the T.R. Leger School provides adult education and literacy classes. Notable people Robert Tait McKenzie, Canadian Physician, soldier (physiotherapy), sculptor Perianne Jones, Olympic athlete James Naismith, inventor of basketball Noreen Young, puppeteer and television producer Mississippi River The Mississippi River which runs through Almonte has no connection with the U.S. river of the same name. See also List of unincorporated communities in Ontario References External links Communities in Lanark County Former towns in Ontario Populated places disestablished in 1998 History of basketball