The 49th Annual Monterey Scottish Games & Celtic Festival to be held at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center to be held on August 6th and 7th, 2016

 

Pomp, pipes and pageantry! The dates for the 49th Annual Monterey Scottish Games & Celtic Festival (www.montereyscotgames.com) will be August 6 and 7, 2016.

Fun for all ages, the Festival brings the bright colors of hundreds of tartan plaids and the sounds of many talented bagpipe bands to Monterey! Put on your kilt and sporran, bring your family and friends, and visit the mystical lands of Scotland and Ireland … without even leaving the Monterey Peninsula.  Dozens of kilted athletes, bagpipers and dancers will be back in Monterey entertaining Festival-goers who will enjoy experiencing and learning more about the fascinating Celtic culture.  

The award-winning Scottish Society of the Monterey Peninsula will hold its 49th Annual Monterey Scottish Games & Celtic Festival (www.montereyscotgames.com) on Saturday and Sunday, August 6th and 7th, 2016, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The festival will take place at the beautiful and spacious Monterey County Fair & Event Center located at 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey, CA, 93940. 

This very popular Celtic celebration brings the music, dance, food and athletic events of Scotland and Ireland to Monterey County.  Featuring fun activities for the whole family, the Monterey Scottish Games & Celtic Festival offers a variety of live Celtic entertainment with exciting massed pipe bands on parade, including many award-winning California-based pipe bands, plus talented Highland and Irish dancers. 

The outstanding array of special entertainment this year will feature many crowd-pleasing favorites for all ages including internationally known entertainers.

The Monterey Scottish Games & Celtic Festival also features exciting Scottish heavy athletic competition events seen in award-winning films such as Braveheart, Rob Roy and Brave, including the famous caber toss, hammer and stone throw, weight for distance and height, and the sheaf toss. 

Among the many thrilling sights and sounds are crowd-pleasing activities such as the powerful massed pipe bands, thrilling Drum Major competition, Solo and Pipe Band competitions, Highland Dancing, Irish Step dancing, and sheepdog herding. Step back in time with costumed historical re-enactment Groups depicting life in 16th Century Scotland with Clan Galbraith, St. Andrew’s Society including meet and greets and tea with Mary Queen of Scots, and the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism). 

Festival attendees will also enjoy researching their own family at the clan and Celtic association tents as they stroll through the Avenue of Clans.  "Tartan" is cloth and most kilts are made of tartan.  The tartan is one of the two important symbols of Scotland, along with the bagpipes.  Each clan has a tartan, sometimes more than one member can be identified by the tartan they wear. In addition to clan and family tartans there are also tartans for districts and special organizations.

There will be lots of fun interactive children’s games activities planned for the wee ones at the Children's Glen, too. Little ones can participate in scaled down athletic events (mini-Caber toss, pillow over the bar, mini braemar stone putt), plus enjoy fun Celtic craft projects and the popular Celtic Quest.

Many vendors at the Monterey Scottish Games & Celtic Festival will offer tasty and British and Scottish food and drink, and unique Scottish, British and Irish crafts, jewelry, clothing, and music that will be enjoyed by all. There’s always great shopping with authentic products imported from Scotland, Ireland and England and hand-made items with Celtic themes.   

More details will be coming and posted to www.montereyscotgames.com.  For more information, call 831-682-2022.