- From artisans to jousting to music and more, get a taste of the highlands at the Harrison County Fairgrounds this weekend.
“C’ead M’ile F’ailte! A hundred thousand welcomes!”
That’s the cry from the members of the Highlands and Islands Association of Celtic Gatherings, a not-for-profit organization based in Gulfport.
The Association is the sponsor of the annual Scottish Highland Games and Celtic Music Festival which will be held this weekend at the Harrison County Fairgrounds.
The festival will include a wide variety of things to see and do. There will be artisans, along with jousting demonstrations, a sheep herding demo with sheep dogs by David Rogers, Irish dancing by students in the Niall O’Leary School of Irish Dance and the McCrossan School of Irish Dance, a bagpipe workshop by Mathew Beale, Skal axe throwing, story time with Princess Merida, and more.
A Renaissance Village will be presented by the local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronisms, whose purpose is to bring together people on the Mississippi Gulf Coast who are interested in researching and re-creating the arts and skills of the medieval era.
All clans and Scottish and Irish Societies are invited. There will be a parade of tartans, so all groups are encouraged to bring a banner or flag, or just come decked out in your tartan.
Highland Games are a highlight of the festival, and this year there will be games for both athletes and the general public.
Registration is required ahead of time to compete. Applications are found on the Highlands and Islands Association website.
The event will be held from 9am to 5pm Saturday, November 9, with a free ceilidh (a social gathering and dance) beginning at 5:30pm.
The event will continue on Sunday from 9am to 4pm.
The Highlands and Islands Association of Celtic Gatherings meets at 6pm on the third and fourth Thursdays in the Fellowship Hall at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 5005 Lawson Avenue in Gulfport. Anyone interested is invited to attend.
Susan Marquez
