Special festival near Farmington Hills

  • 2021-07-31
A festival that celebrates all things Scottish is on the way.

The St. Andrew’s Society of Detroit is hosting the annual Highland Games, the 172nd time the event has been celebrated. The event is the longest continuously operating Scottish festival in North America. People come to the games from throughout Canada and the United States.

At the games, people will enjoy highland dancing, heavy athletics, bagpipes, and more. The fun begins on Friday with a ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee), with musical performances by Pictus, Crossbow, and Stone Clover. Friday is also the day when people will be able to enjoy a Highland Dance Competition. The next day, there will be demonstration dances only.

The following day, Saturday, brings the games themselves, and heavy athletics. These traditional contests go back to the days of the Highland warriors, who would get in shape by competing with ordinary implements. These events include the caber toss, the blacksmith’s hammer, and the stone. Professional athletes will be in attendance and there is an amateur class as well. Flyer printing is often used to publicize events like this.

The ceilidh is set for next Friday, August 6, from 5:00 pm until 11:00 pm, and the dance competition runs all day, from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm. The actual games are scheduled for August 7, from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm, at Greenmead Historical Park in Livonia, a short drive from Farmington Hills. The games will be held regardless of the weather, and tickets are not refundable.