Festival of the Tartans celebrates 61 years

The Festival of the Tartans is celebrated every year with a five-day program that is sure to bring out the Scot in everyone, even those without Scottish roots! The Festival of the Tartans celebrates traditional Scottish culture brought to this area by Scottish immigrants more than two centuries ago. There are events for all ages including a Kilted Golf Tournament, Massed Pipe Bands, Highland Dancing Competitions, Scottish Heavy Weight Events, Clan Tents & Genealogy, Pipe Band demonstrations and other outdoor entertainment. Also plan to attend the Tartan Tea at the Opening, the antique car show in downtown New Glasgow and the popular fiddle Concert on Friday evening. Tap your toes and clap your hands to the live Celtic music, and experience the historic Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan Ceremony at the closing.

Here’s a look at the upcoming events:

2014 Lord Provost’s Trophy Glasgow’s downtown Provost Street, with the historic charm of its buildings and vibrant shops as a backdrop to these unique vintage vehicles. Traffic will be shut down for this fun event. A BBQ will also be available, where you can savour some great food.

Kinsmen Chicken BBQ

$12 gets you a great chicken meal with all the fixings smoked over a huge outdoor barbecue, with all funds going directly to the Kinsmen Minor Baseball Program. Make sure to buy your tickets in advance for this tasty annual favourite, as this event often sells out!

Glen Haven Manor Garden Party Highland Dancing Competitions

Scottish Highland dancing is one of the oldest forms of folk dance. One of the highlights of our Festival, the Highland dancing competitions attracts teams from across the region. Enjoy watching these dancers as they compete in a variety of traditional dances, including Pas de Basques, Fling, Sword, Lilt, Hornpipe, and many more! Registration forms, competition rules and travel directions are available on the website.

Atlantic Canada Open Quartet Championship Field, which hosts a number of exciting events throughout the day. Events include, the Highland dancing competitions, the piping & drumming competitions, and the Scottish heavyweight athletic events, which features stone putts, hammer throws, “weight-for-distance”, “weight-for-height”, boot toss, rolling pin toss and the amazing caber toss. This is something you definitely do not want to miss!

Mass Pipes and Drums

All our pipers join together at the end of the day for a Mass Pipes and Drums display. The bands will be playing all the familiar classic tunes. This is your last chance to catch some traditional Scottish music at the festival, so don’t miss out! It always a rousing event!

Kirkin o’ th’ Tartan