PREAMBLE & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN
‘Wherever I wander, wherever I rove, the hills of the Highlands for ever I love.’ — Robbie Burns
Some summers are measured in months. Ours are measured in festivals. Meadows (Fergus) in June. Hillside (Guelph) in July. Riverfest (Elora) in August. And, nestled perfectly between Hillside and Riverfest, the Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games – a weekend that feels a lot like Scotland, without the cost of cross-Atlantic travel.
This past August the TOQUE crew joined thousands of kilt-clad Scots and Scots-at-heart on the sprawling grounds of the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex to revel in Highland culture as the Festival celebrated its eightieth anniversary. The weekend was packed with tantalizing cultural programming, from the ‘Pipes, Plaid & Pageantry Parade’ to Highland dance competitions; from ghost walks to pipe & drum competitions, from heavies competitions to a tea tent and a whisky village.
And there was so much more: live music from the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Albannach, the Bay City Rollers, and others; a vendor village brimming with Scottish-themed tees, silver jewelry, and tartan; food stalls serving everything from chicken curry pies to black pudding and haggis; sheep shearing demos; children’s games from curling to caber tossing; a giant beer garden; clan tents; and an RV park buzzing with festival-goers from across North America.
The whole thing was summer distilled – full of colour, camaraderie, and culture. Enjoy these highlights and when next August rolls around, follow the pipes to Fergus.
Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games
fergusscottishfestival.com
