Southern Maryland Celtic Festival and Highland Gathering #35

[Nile]

It was really great to attend the 35th Annual Souther Maryland Celtic Festival and Highland Gathering and especially to meet some of our fellow X Marks. The weather was perfect... and the bands, the dancing, the athletics, the venders, the clan tents and hundreds of people enjoying it all, what a wonderful day! I'm going to attempt to insert some photos.


Rob (Madadh) and his dogs were a big hit.


And heeers' Johnnie, (93rd Highlanders 1854-56) and 'your's truly' (yea, that's me). I enjoyed meeting and talking to you Johnnie!


Watching the piping competition; that's my wife on the left (she wouldn't let me use a front view).

More pictures to come.

Nile

[Nile]

Here are some more pictures of the SMCF&HG. It seems that I got the backs of a lot of kilts.






Nile

[Nile]

And... Yet some more!


Lots of pets were present.


The Clan tents.


No 'Ifs', 'Ands' or 'Butts' about it, that's not where I wear my sporran!


Junior athletics!


Practicing for individual competition.

Nile

[tulloch]

Great photos. Thanks.

[Madadh]

Nile,

It was nice to meet you, and thanks for the picture. I meet several X-Marker's at the event and will try and add some of the pics that I have been collecting. The lads enjoyed themselves and had their pictures takin many times.

[Nile]

Thank you Rob; it was so good to meet you. Susan and I, like everyone there, had an enjoyable day. Your lads were well behaved and they seemed relaxed; the crowds didn't bother them at all. We will probably bring our little dog next year.

Nile

[Nile]

I hope you don't mind but, I have a few more shots of the Festival/Gathering, to post.

This is part of the crowd enjoying Bonnie Rideouts' delightful performance. What can I say... She was great!


There were several good pipe bands; this is the Washington Memorial Pipe Band.


Nile

[pbutts]

No 'Ifs', 'Ands' or 'Butts' about it, that's not where I wear my sporran!


Nile

Gotta love those wacky drummers! What pipe band is that with the MacFarlane hunting tartan?

[Nile]

Tad,

Thanks for posting more pictures. I sorry I didn't have a chance to meet you.

I have to tell you, your son looks really sharp in his kilt; he wears it well. I think it's great that in addition to involving your children an event like this, you are encouraging and inspiring your son, early in his life, to embrace his heritage. I started too late with my children but, I'm trying. My oldest daughters' husband wears one occasionally (but he was wearing them before me) but my son and youngest daughters' husband have been a little harder sell. I'm not really pushing them, I'm just politely encouraging them.

Nile

[tadyergey]

Nile, thanks for the kind words. I made my son's kilt and his sister a matching skirt, however she was hesitant to wear it. Though once we got to the festival she wished she would have. My son is all about the kilt and I'm having trouble reining him in with his desire to wear it. I don;t think we'll make it to the Frederick festival but will be attending the Scottish Games in Northern Virginia in September.

Tad,

Thanks for posting more pictures. I sorry I didn't have a chance to meet you.

I have to tell you, your son looks really sharp in his kilt; he wears it well. I think it's great that in addition to involving your children an event like this, you are encouraging and inspiring your son, early in his life, to embrace his heritage. I started too late with my children but, I'm trying. My oldest daughters' husband wears one occasionally (but he was wearing them before me) but my son and youngest daughters' husband have been a little harder sell. I'm not really pushing them, I'm just politely encouraging them.

Nile