Costa Mesa Scottish Festival

[OC Richard]

I'll be sure to stop by the Donnachaidh booth from time to time.

[Rokn49er]

I will be there on Saturday. So let me know if we can work this out. it be nice to meet a few from this group.

[sydnie7]

If anybody's still checking in -- I just made up an "XMarks contact list" which will be at the Donnachaidh tent both days. You can leave your name/cell number/best time for a group shot and we'll try to put a few meets together.

[MarkThomas]

I attended both days with my wife and did manage to find OCRichard and have a photo taken. The festival was a great time. I was wearing a Clan Kennedy shirt on Sunday and had a nice lady introduce herself and comment that she had not seen any other Kennedys at the festival. I was then introduced to her father and brother - it was oddly like meeting family I did not know I had even though we are not related in any typical sense of the word.

[OC Richard]

I was cool meeting Mark and his wife (too bad she's not in the pic... she was the one taking it!)

Yes it's a bit odd that there was no Kennedy booth. I'm not able to spend much time over at clan tents but I recall usually seeing a Kennedy one. Any local Clan Kennedy people out there?

Sorry Sydnie I was doing the pipe band thing, which keeps you hopping from one thing to another. I did see the Donnachaidh booth once but I was running somewhere to do something and couldn't stop by. (In Mark's pic you can see my wheelie pipe case and big hat and drink... I was wheeling over to the band tent.)

I was greatly saddened to hear the announcement that Forrest MacDonald had passed. He was my first contact and mentor in connecting to my MacDonald roots, back in the 1970s, when I was a card-carrying member of Clan Donald USA and would spend quite a bit of time at the Clan Donald tent and various events.

[Tomak]

I had my family there, we all had a great time.

[Elizabeth]

We were there both days and had a great time. I shot phone video of Richard's band but the eastern European "gentleman" and his father sitting next to me decided it was a good time to wiggle the stands and chat loudly even though I had shown them I was going to be doing video. There were a few photos taken by Sydnie, I'm sure she will post once she gets home and settled in. I want to thank her for putting the effort in to get us somewhat organized! I saw Richard from afar several times but he was always busy with band people. Maybe next time I will just barge in! The closing ceremony massed band was such fun to see. The grandstands are on a dirt racing track, not an easy place to march!

[OC Richard]

Here's some photos.

Solos in the morning, Richard King playing in the Open March, Strathspey, and Reel, in Cameron of Erracht Ancient tartan. His sporran and those of all his band were made by a local San Diego sporranmaker



Drumming competition. Go Girls! The tartan on the right is Drummond Of Perth (HOE Muted)



It was exciting to have the Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band (Grade 2) make the trip from Scotland! Here the pipe corps is tuning up. In the centre is Kenny MacLeod, owner of McCallum Bagpipes, the Pipe Major. The tartan is MacLeod (reproduction/weathered colours)



Here they are marching toward the competition area, a large impressive band, and not everyone made the trip!



Here they are in competition; note the brown tweed waistcoats



The pride of San Francisco, the Prince Charles Pipe Band (Grade 2). The tartan is Black Stewart



Kevin Blandford Memorial Pipe Band (Grade 3) in competition. The two pipers to the left are police officers. The tartan is Roxburgh District (HOE Muted)



now marching out of the competition area



The Pasadena Scots marching toward the competition in California Ancient tartan. Drum Major David Melton is impressive as always, and one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.

[OC Richard]

The Pasadena Scots in competition. The judge on the left is wearing MacDonald of the Isles Hunting (Ancient)



Mesa Caledonia Pipe Band marching out of competition led by Drum Major Kevin Conquest (another super nice guy). The tartan is the strikingly unique Ancient Bruce of Kinnaird



I spotted these gents in a tartan completely unfamiliar to me. This pic doesn't do it justice; it's far more beautiful in person. It's the recently designed San Diego tartan

[Heartbeat2k9]

[QUOTE=OC Richard;1236004]The Pasadena Scots in competition. The judge on the left is wearing MacDonald of the Isles Hunting (Ancient)



*That Judge on the left, is Jack Lee, of SFU Pipeband* ;)