That army of bagpipes youâre hearing in the distance? No, itâs not a beautiful dream; itâs the annual Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games & Clan Gathering! So put on your tartan, ready your stomach for some fine Scottish ale and meat pies, and head down to Enumclaw.
The sixth oldest Scottish festival in the United States, the Seattle Scottish Highland Games Association (SSHGA) has been âbringing Scotland to the Pacific Northwest for over 75 years,â and they have plenty in store for those who want to be whisked away to the Highlands.
If youâre all about sports and feats of strength, the Enumclaw Expo Center has you covered with the North American Scottish Athletics Championship, which includes both amateur and elite athletes chucking very heavy items (open stone, sheaf toss, hammers, and cabers) as far or as high as they can, with winners becoming North American champions in their respective class. The grounds will also host the likes of other judged competitions, including the Drum Corps Championship, pipe bands, as well as individual competitors.
If your idea of a fair is more based around food, drink, and revelry, there will be vendors aplenty selling imported goods and cooking up a storm of traditional Scottish food, plus two separate pubs, a Celtic arts showcase, an ancestry-based Avenue of the Clans, and even a stage combat troupe that uses real steel weapons. And the weekendâs biggest shindig? That would be the Saturday evening Ceilidh, a music- and dance-filled party thatâll make you want to kick up your kilts.
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