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Culture > Local Festivals & Games

Culture

Regional Scottish Festivals and Highland Games:

Looking for something exciting to do this weekend? If it's summer, chances are there's a Scottish festival somewhere nearby! Whether you want to travel to Glengarry County to experience one of the largest Scottish festivals in the world, or just zip cross the Ambassador Bridge to enjoy the oldest Highland Games on the continent, you'll find a plethora of bagpipes and dancers in southwest Ontario.


Alma Highland Festival (May)
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Alma, or "Scotland, U.S.A.," a small town in the middle of Lower Michigan, has been hosting one of the largest, most prestigious events of its kind in the Mid West for more than four decades.
Appx. drive from Windsor: 2- 2½ hours


Georgetown Highland Games (June)
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Set 20 kilometers west of Brampton, these games have attracted clan societies, athletes, dancers, and pipe bands from across Canada for more than thirty years.
Appx. drive from Windsor: 3½ - 4 hours


Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games (July)
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For over fifty years, this weekend-long event has allowed guests to visit Scotland without having to board a plane! The festival highlights all things Scottish, with a focus on heavy athletics, dancing, piping, clan genealogy, and family fun.
Appx. drive from Windsor: 3½ - 4 hours


Kincardine Scottish Festival and Highland Games (July)
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Guests are invited to enjoy the sights and sounds of Scotland from the shores of Lake Huron. One delighted visitor praised the festival as "one of the best small Games on the circuit. The townspeople must be commended."
Appx. drive from Windsor: 3 hours


Cambridge Highland Games (July)
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"I won't ever forget my 'goosebump moment' during the finale - a field of pipe bands as far as the eye could see!" said 2009 Chieftain of the Games Gayle O'Brien of the magical closing ceremony.
Appx. drive from Windsor: 3 hours


Chatham-Kent Supreme Highland Games (July)
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Although the games were cancelled in 2009 due to budgetary cutbacks, organizers hope to return in 2010 for the 20th annual games. Sponsored by the Tartan Sertoma Club of Chatham, the games help to raise funds for various local charities.
Appx. drive from Windsor: 1 hour


Highlands of Durham Games (July)
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Enjoy auld Scotia and celebrate your Celtic roots with three days of traditional Scottish entertainment in Uxbridge, Ontario. Pipers and drummers, Highland dancers, car shows, livestock shows and heavy athletics complement the impressive avenue of the clans.
Appx. drive from Windsor: 4½ - 5 hours


St. Andrew's Society of Detroit Highland Games (July/August)
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The St. Andrew's Society of Detroit has been working to promote and preserve Celtic heritage since 1849. The 10,000 visitors that gathered in Historic Greenmead Park for the festival's 160th anniversary in 2009 enjoyed a Celtic marketplace, herding dog demonstrations, genealogy tents, and nonstop Celtic rock music in addition to the traditional dancing, piping, and heavy athletics.
Appx. drive from Windsor: 30-45 minutes


Glengarry Highland Games (July/August)
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Over 60 pipe bands from around the world flock to Maxville, Ontario on August long weekend to compete in the North American Pipe Band Championships. Canada's largest Scottish festival also offers a weekend filled with dancing, fiddling, heavy athletics, and a host of other special events.
Appx. drive from Windsor: 8½ hours


Celtic Roots Festival (August)
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Musicians and artists from across Canada, the U.S., and the British Isles meet in Goderich, Ontario for "a vibrant celebration of living culture" that Discover Magazine has hailed as "the best folk festival on the planet." The Celtic Roots Festival has also grown to include the Celtic College, a five-day workshop series on Celtic instruments, dances, folk crafts, language, and culture. Children can also enjoy Celtic storytelling, music, drama, dance, and crafts in the corresponding Kids Day Camp.
Appx. drive from Windsor: 3 hours


Owen Sound Celtic Festival (September)
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The drama, painting, music, song and dance of Grey-Bruce's Celtic pioneers are highlighted in this arts festival. A Highland Dance competition was introduced in 2009 as the festival expanded into its 11th year.
Appx. drive from Windsor: 4-5 hours
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