https://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/ A place to talk about up and coming Highland Games or Celtic Events en Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:20:46 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/images/misc/rss.png https://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/ f97/2026-woodland-sacramento-games-99380/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:45:11 GMT For many years the Sacramento Valley Scottish Games & Gathering was held at the Yolo County Fairgrounds in Woodland, California (near Sacramento, the State Capital).

2018 was its last year, replaced in 2019 by the Woodland Celtic Games & Festival, which only lasted one year, due to COVID.

During COVID, to have a way for pipers and drummers to compete in solos, WUSPBA began sanctioning a slate of "Pipes & Pubs" competitions held in breweries and pubs across the western USA.

Blue Note Brewing in Woodland was one such venue, starting in 2023, and dubbed the NorCal Celtic Festival.

Not just piping and drumming solos, the event was in effect a small-scale Highland Games with Highland Dancing, Athletics, and pipe band competition, taking over a couple blocks of Main Street in old downtown Woodland.

I attended in 2024 and 2025 and thought the format, with no gate and no entrance fee, might become the future of US Highland Games.

However for 2026 the NorCal Celtic Festival moved to the Yolo County Fairgrounds as a full-sized big-venue Games.

Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate and rain was forecast, on and off, all weekend.

This made it like the Games in Scotland, but hopefully wasn't an economic disaster for the organisers.

Here's our band, the Pasadena Scots, during one of the dry spells when the bands could take off their rain capes.

(We wear the California State tartan, essentially Muir in ancient colours.)

]]> Highland Games and Celtic Event Discussion OC Richard https://mail.xmarksthescot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99380 f97/las-vegas-highland-games-2026-a-99379/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:23:48 GMT They're this weekend (18 and 19 April) and the weather should be gorgeous.

There are fewer pipe bands than usual, the reason being that the NorCal Celtic Festival (in Woodland) was just last weekend, and several bands usually seen in Vegas decided to attend Woodland instead.

They need to spread these two Games apart a bit.

I'll be there Saturday as an attendee. (My band was one of the ones who usually attends Vegas but chose Woodland this year.) ]]> Highland Games and Celtic Event Discussion OC Richard https://mail.xmarksthescot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99379 f97/dills-celtic-festival-dillsburg-pa-99348/ Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:00:25 GMT April 17 and 18 in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania. https://dillscelticfest.com/ Dillsburg is in York County, SW of Harrisburg. Dave April 17 and 18 in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania.

https://dillscelticfest.com/

Dillsburg is in York County, SW of Harrisburg.


Dave ]]> Highland Games and Celtic Event Discussion Dave Kerr https://mail.xmarksthescot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99348