BAGPIPERS AND CLANS CELEBRATE HERITAGE
Colorado Tartan Day festival brings Celtic culture to Longmont
Bagpipe music filled the air on Saturday at the Colorado Tartan Day festival, which celebrated its 10th year in Longmont this weekend.
From kilts to Renaissanceera gowns, many guests donned their best Celtic attire for the festival, which was held at the Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road. The event will continue from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The free, family-friendly event featured vendors selling Celtic jewelry and clothing, as well as representatives from 22 clans. Corrine Waggoner, president of the Colorado Tartan Day Council, said clans and guests often come from Greeley, Pueblo and even out of state for the festival.
“We want to celebrate the contributions of the Celtic peoples as a whole, whether it’s Irish, Scottish or Welsh,” Waggoner said.
This is the eighth year the Colorado Tartan Day festival has taken place at the fairgrounds; Roosevelt Park served as the venue for the event’s first two years in Longmont. Before that, the festival moved between a few different locations in the Denver area.
“We wanted a permanent home so everybody knew where it was every year,” Waggoner said. “This particular area allows us to set (the festival) up in a circle, like a village used to be built.”
Saturday’s festival began with a parade, with members from each of the 22 clans proudly displaying their banners to the public. Waggoner explained that the clans not only use the festival to recruit new members, but also as an educational platform.
“They’re more than willing to share their history, and they’re very proud of their history,” Waggoner said. “The clans really do support this event and keep it alive.”
On top of food and music, the festival included sword fighting and archery activities for guests, as well as the chance to see a blacksmith working at his forge.
Mark Riehm, a member of the Renaissance Scots Living History Association, led a weaving demonstration on his loom. Riehm crafted the official state tartan for Colorado, which was adopted by the Colorado General Assembly in 1997.
“We want to bring the heritage craft of Scotland to where people can experience it directly, instead of just reading about it or seeing it in a museum,” Riehm said. “What we do here, we hope to teach to a new generation so these crafts are kept alive.”
Rocky Mountain Scottie Rescue was one of several nonprofits with a booth at the festival. Members of the rescue group brought a few Scottish Terriers with them to greet guests and teach more people about the breed.
“We’re celebrating all things Scottish,” said Jackie Platt with Rocky Mountain Scottie Rescue. “The more plaid, the better.”
Bob Heston, an advisor for the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations, helped festival guests discover if they had any Celtic ancestral ties — and if so, what tartans they could wear.
“I like to help people find their roots,” Heston said. “It’s getting educated about another culture, whether it’s your culture or somebody else’s.”