Tout Jour Prest,
"Always Ready"
Scottish Festivals and Highland Games
Each year Clan Carmichael USA is present at numerous Scottish Festival and Highland Games events, as a Clan representative, as a sponsor, and as a participant. Scroll down below to see a list of Scottish Festival and Games events around the US, where you can find a Clan Carmichael tent and a warm welcome (the picture above is from the 2006 Texas Scottish Festival and Highland Games). In addition to clan tents, these family oriented festivals typically feature Scottish music, dancing, food, dogs, vendors, and Highland Games.
What are Scottish or Highland Games?
The origins of the very diverse Scottish Heavy Athletic events have been lost in the shadows of time but almost certainly date back to the very early Celtic peoples. Whenever tribes or clans gathered to barter or sell their goods or at festival times, informal contests of strength, agility and endurance between the men were also held. Being farmers as well as warriors, these athletic contests were based on similar activities utilizing the items at hand. Clan chiefs would use these contests to select the best men for his men at arms and couriers. In ancient times, standing armies in the Celtic Nations were very rare, causing the defense of the country to fall upon warriors supplied by clans or tribes. To this end, King Malcolm III Canmore held the first organized highland games at Braemar in 1057. During the 1800's, Sir Walter Scott's novels sparked a revival of interest in things Scottish. New Highland Games were organized, with their emphasis shifted towards a purely sporting activity. In order to compete in these traditional events, every athlete is required to wear a kilt except for the novice first-time competitors. The following are some of the modern day competition events that you might see at any of the many Scottish Highland Games around the United States. These competitions require great strength, agility and endurance of the athletes competing for honors and prizes.
- Caber toss - Flipping a 15 to 20 foot tree trunk weighing about 100 lbs. end over end.
- Sheaf toss - Tossing a 15 or 20 lb. bale of straw for height over a crossbar with a pitchfork.
- Stone put - Shot-putting a smooth 17 lb. stone for distance.
- Weight Throw - Slinging a 28, 42, or 56 lb. weight with a chain handle for distance or height.
- Hammer throw - Whirling a 16 or 22 lb. weight with a flexible wooden or PVC handle, and releasing it backwards for distance.
Highland Games are colorful, boisterous, strenuous, noisy, busy, educational, friendly - and FUN!
2008 Scottish Festivals and Games Calendar
(Subject to change)
| 2/15 - 2/17 | Mid-Winter Scottish-Irish Music Festival and Fair |
Valley Forge Convention
Center, King of Prussia, PA (George Ross & Jean Carmichael) |
| 2/29 - 3/2 | N TX Irish Festival |
Fair Park, Dallas, TX (John Carmichael) |
| 3/29 | Sarasota Highland Games |
Venice Airport Grounds, FL (Geary Rowell) |
| 3/29 | Kern County CA Scottish Society Scottish Gathering and Games |
Stramler Park, Bakersfield,
CA (Jim & Linda Carmichael) |
| 3/29 – 4/12 | Tartan Day Exhibit | Levittown Co. Library, Levittown, PA (George Ross & Jean Carmichael) |
|
4/6 3-6pm |
Tartan Day Celebration |
College Mall, Bloomington,
IN (Don & Mary Carmichael) |
| 4/19 - 4/20 | Las Vegas NV Celtic Gathering & Highland Games |
Floyd Lamb State Park, Las
Vegas, NV (Claudia LeMone, Steve & Suzanne Goeser) |
| 5/24 – 5/25 | Cape May NJ Celtic Festival |
Cape May, NJ (George Ross & Jean Carmichael) |
| 5/30 - 6/1 | Glasgow Kentucky Highland Games |
Barren River Lake State
Park, Glasgow, KY (Art Hopkins) |
| 6/6 - 6/8 | TX Scottish Festival & Highland |
Maverick Stadium, Arlington,
TX (John & Colleen Carmichael) |
| 6/7 | Bonnie Brae NJ Highland Games |
Bonnie Brae Educational
Center, Liberty Corner, NJ (George Ross & Jean Carmichael) |
| 6/14 - 6/15 | Utah Scottish Festival & Highland Games |
Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, UT (Claudia LeMone) |
| 6/28 | Celtic Festival |
Bristol, PA (George Ross & Jean Carmichael) |
| 7/12 - 7/13 | Grandfather Mt. Highland Games |
Linville, NC (Clifford Lowery) |
| 7/12 | Celtic Heritage Festival |
Graeme State Park, Horsham,
PA (George Ross & Jean Carmichael) |
| 7/12 | Portland Highland Games |
Mt. Hood Community College,
Gresham ,OR (Bill Bolger) |
| 7/26 - 7/27 | Pacific NW Scottish Games & Clan Gathering (Seattle area) |
King Co. Fairgrounds,
Enumclaw, WA (Bill Bolger) |
| 8/16 | Maine Highland Games | Thomas Point Beach, Brunswick, ME (Carroll Richardson) |
| 9/6 - 9/7 | Caledonian Club of San Francisco Highland Gathering & Games |
Alameda Co. Fairgrounds,
Pleasanton, CA (Claudia Lemone) |
| 9/13 | Green Lane Park PA Scottish/Irish Festival & Highland Games |
Green Lane, PA (George Ross & Jean Carmichael) |
| 9/13 - 9/14 | Columbus IN Scottish Festival |
County Fairgrounds, Columbus, IN (Don & Mary Carmichael) |
| 10/4 | Scottish Heritage Festival | PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ (George Ross & Jean Carmichael) |
| 10/11 -10/12 | Celtic Heritage Festival, Bedford TX |
Bedford Boys Ranch, Bedford,
TX (John Carmichael) |
| 10/17 – 10/19 |
Stone Mountain Highland Games
(location of 2008 annual meeting) |
Stone Mt.Park, Stone Mt., GA |
| 10/25 - 10/26 | Richmond Highland Games and Celtic Festival |
Richmond Raceway Complex (Duncan & Brenda Carmichael) |
| 10/25 - 10/26 | Deep South Archibald Carmichael Reunion |
Carmichael, MS (Rodney Waltman) |
A Clan Carmichael tent is planned at the above events. For a list of all Scottish Festivals and Highland Games, click on the following site:
www.usscots.com/events/welcome.html