2012 Celtic Festivals and Highland Games August - October

Piper from Clan Hamilton
2010 Williamsburg Scottish Festival

By Dawn Marie Hamilton

Festival time is in full swing across the country. Come on out and celebrate our ancestry?

Here are the festivals on my radar for August through October:

August 3-4
St. Andrew's Society of Detroit Highland Games
Greenmead HistoricalPark, Livonia, MI
Courtesy of Althea Preston. Things to do: Ceilidh, Music and Dance, Highland Athletics, Border Collies, Scotch Tasting and more

August 3-5
Dublin Irish Festival
Coffman Park, Dublin, OH
Courtesy of Renee Vincent. Things to do: Music, Cultural Exhibits, Beverage Tastings, Celtic Canines, Highland Heavyweight Games and more

August 17-18
Foxburg Scottish Festival
Allegheny RiverStone Center For the Arts, Foxburg, PA
Courtesy of Victoria Roberts. Things to do: Ceilidh on Friday, Festival and Concert on Saturday and more

September 5-6
Virginia Celtic Gathering and Highland Games
Rockahock Campground, Lanexa, VA
I've attended this event twice, which used to be called the Williamsburg Scottish Festival, and had a great time. Things to do: Celidh, Music and Dance, Highland Athletics, Crafts and Vendors and more

September 8
Edinboro Highland Games & Scottish Festival
Edinboro University, Edinboro, PA
Courtesy of Victoria Roberts. Things to do: Music and Dance, Highland Athletics, Storytelling, Vendors and more

September 8-9
Columbus Scottish Festival
Bartholomew County Fairgrounds, Columbus, IN
Courtesy of Diana Graber. Things to do: Music and Dance, Highland Athletics, Sheepdogs, Reenactors and more

September 21-23
New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival
Loon Mountain, Lincoln, NH
This is an event I hope to attend one of these years. Things to do: Music and Dance, Highland Athletics, Sheepdogs and much more

October 13
Indianapolis Scottish Highland Games and Festival
German Park, Indianapolis, IN
Courtesy of Diana Graber. Things to do: Clans, Vendors, Music and Dance and more

October 27
Murray Highland Festival
Murray City Park, Murray, KY
Courtesy of Diana Graber. Things to do: Music, Highland Athletics, SCA Exhibition of Medieval combat, Genealogy Tent, Highland Cattle, Sheepherding and more

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this list.

Click here for April - July events.

Do you know of other Celtic events during August - October? Tell us about them in comments.

Celtic Festivals and Highland Games

Reenactment Couple
2011 So MD Celtic Festival

By Dawn Marie Hamilton

Spring has sprung. Festival time is spreading across the country. Come on out and celebrate our ancestry?

Here are the festivals on my radar for April through July:


April 20-22
Rural Hill Scottish Festival & Loch Norman Highland Games
Rural Hill, Center of Scottish Heritage, Huntersville, NC
Friends of mine attend this event every year. Looks like a great lineup of entertainers for 2012. Things to do: Clan Tents, Music and Dance, Highland Athletics, Whisky Seminar, Historical Encampment and more.

April 28
Southern Maryland Celtic Festival and Highland Gathering
Jefferson Patterson Park, St. Leonard, MD
I had a great time at this event last year. Things to do: Music and Dance, Highland Athletics, Fencing Demo, Living History Encampment and Battle, Storytelling, Rugby Tournament and Celtic Market Place and more.

The Sheaf Toss
2012 NE FL Scottish Festival

May 23-27
GALLABRAE and the Greenville Scottish Games
Greenville, SC
I'm very excited and proud. My clan, Clan Hamilton, will be the Honored Clan and His Grace, the Duke of Hamilton, will be the Chief of the Games and Grand Marshal for the Great Scot! Parade. And two of my favorite festival bands are scheduled to perform: Albannach and Coyote Run along with a new to me band Cleghorn. Things to do: Music and Dance, British Car Show, Great Scot! Parade, Highland Athletics, Celtic Jam, Border Collies, Birds of Prey and more.

June 2
Milwaukee Highland Games
Wauwatosa, WI
Added to the list thanks to Fraoch. Things to do: Music and Dance, Scottish Food, Sheepdogs, Athletic Events, Parade of Tartans and more.

July 7-10
Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of the Scottish Clans
Linville, NC
This is my favorite event and the inspiration for some of my stories. To fully experience the festival, you need to camp on-site. Things to do: Torchlight Ceremony, Music and Dance, Clan Tents, Parade of Tartans, Highland Athletics, Border Collies, Gaelic Mod and more.

Pipe Band
2011 So MD Celtic Festival

I'd like to know about other Celtic festivals taking place in the US and Canada.

Do you know of other Celtic events? Tell us about them in comments and I'll add them to the list.