Skagit Valley HIghland Games 2014

Skagit Valley Highland Games 2014

highland_games_2014Get ready for the 20th annual Skagit Valley Highland Games & Celtic Festival, July 12-13, 2014, at Edgewater Park in Mount Vernon, WA.  Held the second full weekend each July, this Festival attracts over 10,000 people each year. Think of it as a kind of “Scottish 3-ring circus;’ with a wide range of activities for young and old alike.

The Skagit Valley Highland Games 2014 is part of an annual circuit of Scottish competitions held in the Pacific Northwest and Lower Mainland of British Columbia. As such, the quality of performers in solo bagpiping and drumming competitions, bagpipe bands, fiddling, traditional Scottish athletics (the “heavy” events) and Scottish Highland dancing is at an extremely high level.

Some quick links to common questions:

  • How to have the Perfect Highland Games Day
  • Pets at the Highland Games 2014
  • Ticket prices & availability
  • Parking, Address, GPS & Directions 
  • Promotional Poster PDF to share with your Clan and friends

Skagit Valley Highland Games 2014 Tentative Schedule

Saturday, July 12th

 
 
Time Event
9:00-10:30 Highland Dancing: Pre-premier Events (dancing area)
9:00-2:00 Solo Piping & Drumming Competition (piping area)
9:00-10:30 Instrument Petting Zoo (fiddle stage)
9:00-11:00 Short performances by Northwest harpers (harp tent)
10:00-11:00 “61 AD: Iceni Queen Boudica’s Revolt”: Presentation with Brian McGuiness (Celtic culture tent)
10:30-12:00 Scottish Fiddle Critique (fiddle tent)
10:30-3:00 Northern United States Open Highland Dancing Championship (dancing area)
11:00-11:30 Seirm (Gaelic singers group – part of Slighe nan Gaidheal, a Washington-based Gaelic culture & language society) (harp tent)
11:00-12:00 Bellingham Scottish Country Dancers (country dancing stage)
11:00-12:00 Finding Your Celtic Roots with Linda Sparr, Christine Cooper & the Skagit Valley Genealogical Society (Celtic culture tent)
12:00-12:30 Opening Ceremonies, Parade of the Clans, Anthems & Lament (main stage)
12:00-12:30 Try the Harp! A mini-lesson provided by our harp artists (harp tent)
12:30-1:00 Short performances by Northwest harpers (harp tent)
1:00-2:00 Tiller’s Folly – Main Stage
1:00-2:00 Bagpipes & how they work: Skye Richendrfer & John Brock (Celtic culture tent)
1:00-2:00 Bellingham Scottish Country Dancers (country dancing stage)
1:00-2:00 Harp Circle, plus group tunes (harp tent)
1:00-2:00 Instrument Petting Zoo (fiddle stage)
2:00-3:00 Spotlight on the Clans: Clan Muir with Don Moore and Clan MacLauren with Bill McFadden (Celtic Culture Tent)
2:00-3:00 Seumas Gagne – Harp Solo (Harp Tent)
2:00-4:00 Celtic Music Session (fiddle stage)
2:00-6:00 Sheepdog Trials (farm area)
2:30-3:00 Short performances by Northwest harpers (harp tent)
2:30-5:00 Pipe Band Competition (main stage)
3:00-4:00 Bellingham Scottish Country Dancers (country dancing stage)
3:00-4:00 The Shared Sounds of the Celtic Fiddle and Harp with Ward Beebe and Susan Easthouse (Celtic culture tent)
3:00-5:00 Highland Dancing Choreography Competition (dancing area)
3:00-3:30 Seirm (Gaelic singers group) performing with harps (harp tent)
3:30-4:30 Dinas O Frain (Kevin Gow, Laura Lovell, Motter Snell)
5:00-5:15 Massed Bands (main stage area)
5:30-6:30 Celtic Legends Concert: Tiller’s Folly (main stage)
 

All Day:

  • Scottish culture tent (explanations & demonstrations of Celtic music, dance & culture)
  • Celtic harp tent (music and performances throughout the day)
  • Traditional Scottish athletic events
  • Children’s events (presented by the Children’s Museum of Skagit County)
  • Fair food, Scottish clan (family) booths, arts & crafts vendors
  • Beer garden, Whisky Tent
  • Celtic animal farm
  • Weaving & Spinning demonstrations

 

Sunday, July 13th

 
Time Event
9:00-10:00 Beginning Scottish Fiddle Workshop (fiddle stage)
9:00-9:30 Short performances by Northwest harpers (harp tent)
9:00-5:00 Highland Dancing Competition (dancing area)
9:30-10:00 Try the harp! A mini-lesson provided by our harp artists (harp tent)
10:00-11:30 Short performances by Northwest harpers (harp tent)
10:00-11:00 61AD: Iceni Queen Boudica’s Revolt: Presentation with Brian McGuiness (Celtic culture tent)
10:00-11:00 Music Workshops: Tiller’s Folly artists (fiddle stage)
10:00-6:00 Sheepdog Trials (farm area)
11:00-12:00 Finding Your Celtic Roots with Laura Sparr, Christine Cooper & the Skagit Valley Genealogical Society (Celtic Culture Tent)
11:00-12:30 Scottish Smallpipe solo & duet critique events – (fiddle stage)
12:00-1:00 Fleece to Shawl Presentation (weavers and spinners area)
12:30-1:00 Opening Ceremonies, Parade of the Clans, Anthems & Lament (main stage)
12:30-1:00 Try the Harp! A mini lesson provided by our harp artists (harp tent)
1:00-2:00 Bagpipes and how they work: Skye Richendrfer and John Brock (Celtic culture tent)
1:00-2:00 Elliott Bay Smallpipe Ensemble (fiddle stage)
1:00-2:00 Bellingham Scottish Country Dancers (country dancing stage)
1:00-2:00 Harp Circle plus group tunes (harp tent)
1:00-2:00 Kitchen/Ceilidh Piping & Drumming: piping & drumming for fun (main stage)
2:00-2:40 Welsh Music presentation and performance by Eric Bowen (harp tent)
2:00-3:00 Spotlight on the clans: Clan Maxwell with Joe and Diane Maxwell and Clan Craig with Russ Mudgett (Celtic culture tent)
2:00-3:00 Scottish Country Dancing (country dancing stage)
2:00-3:00 Irish Music Session (fiddle stage)
2:45-3:30 What does the “Celtic” in “Celtic Music” really mean? Presentation by Seumas Gagne at Harp Tent
3:00-4:00 Scottish Country Dancing (country dancing stage)
3:00-4:00 The Shared Sounds of Celtic Fiddle and Harp with Ward Beebe and Susan Easthouse (Celtic Culture Tent)
3:00-4:00 Open Celtic Music Session (fiddle stage)
3:00-4:30 Washington State Grade IV & Grade III Pipe Band Championships (main stage area)
3:30-4:30 Short Performances by Northwest Harpists
4:30-4:45 Massed Bands (main stage area)
5:00 Event Closes: Haste Ye Back!
 

All Day:

  • Scottish culture tent (explanations & demonstrations of Celtic music, dance & culture)
  • Celtic harp tent (music and performances throughout the day)
  • Traditional Scottish athletic events
  • Children’s events (presented by the Children’s Museum of Skagit County)
  • Fair food, Scottish clan (family) booths, arts & crafts vendors
  • Beer garden, Whisky Tent
  • Celtic animal farm
  • Weaving & Spinning demonstrations