They’ll be tossing the caber and hurling the haggis at Topaz Park
Clans and fans gather for the Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival, the longestrunning cultural festival in B.C., from Saturday to Monday at Topaz Park.
There will be colourful kilts and the sound of bagpipes aplenty as the festival celebrates Scottish and Celtic heritage with music, dance, sports, culture and entertainment. The event, which marks its 154th anniversary this year, boasts the only three-day Highland Games in Western Canada.
During the event, the air will be filled with the sounds of piping and drumming, along with heels kicking up in demonstrations of Highland and Irish dance.
Well-muscled athletes will show their strength and skills in so-called heavy events competitions: putting the stone, sheaf toss, throwing the hammer and tossing the caber. Competitors will also attempt to throw weights for distance and height.
The top 10 throwers from across Canada will compete in eight events for the Canadian Scottish Athletic Federation’s Canadian Men’s Championships.
The International Heavy Events Challenge runs both Saturday and Sunday, with amateur divisions competing between 8 a.m. and noon, and professionals taking to the field from noon to the end of the day.
The Victoria Strength Challenge (Strongman) takes place on Monday.
While athletes make tossing the caber appear easy, mere mortals will be better off trying their hands at haggis hurling, running in a kilt or joining a tug-of-war competition.
Although the actual games are this weekend, events have been taking place over the past week to add up to a 10-day celebration of Scottish and Celtic arts, music and sport — including last weekend’s Tartan Parade through downtown Victoria and Wednesday’s Tilted Kilt pub crawl.
A Torchlight Clan ceremony, to acknowledge clans taking part in the festivities, will start at 8 p.m. Saturday on the steps of the legislature. The clans will collectively form a Scottish Saltire (which represents the flag of Scotland), with a duty pipe band delivering a short performance at the conclusion.
Nobody wants to be late for class at the single malt whisky school, with classes held throughout the festival. Participants can take classes focused on a specific distillery, sample a range of malts or experience whisky and food pairings. Advance registration is required, with tickets ($35 to $45) going fast. For tickets, go to http://bit.ly/2qp8Lbn.
Some of the 20,000 people expected to attend the games can search for their roots in the old country at Scottish clan and genealogy booths, check out historic military demonstrations or tuck into Scottish and Celtic food.
Activities in the children’s entertainment area include miniheavy events, sack races and a 100-yard dash.
Single-day admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and youth (13 to 18) and free for children under 12. Three-day passes are also available. No pets are allowed. Gates are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday at Topaz Park, at the corner of Topaz and Blanshard Streets. Limited parking is available at S.J. Willis School, Topaz Park and on the street. Disabled parking is at a lot outside the Finlayson Street entrance.