2021 Scottish Highland Games Announcing Opening

[OC Richard]

The Northeast Florida games took place last Saturday...very successful.

That's a perfect example of how States vary.

Disney World in Florida has been open since last summer, while Disneyland in California is still closed.

Florida is doing Highland Games, California quite possibly won't have any until 2022.

I work at Disneyland in California, we are gearing up to open at the end of this month, 9 months after Disney World in Florida reopened!

My wife and I just qualified for a vaccination two weeks ago, and got vaccinated yesterday. My family members in Arizona, Nevada, and West Virginia all got vaccinated months ago. Stuff like that is why hundreds of thousands of Californians are escaping the State.

[OC Richard]

So...since this is the thread about 2021 Games happening/not happening let me ask if anyone knows the status of

Ohio Scottish Games (Wellington). Their site has no information. No, really! None at all. It just says "under construction".

Loch Norman (North Carolina). EDIT: cancelled, returning 2022.

Colonial (Fair Hill Maryland). Their site still has the 2019 dates, but I've seen references to 2022 dates.

Ligonier (Pennsylvania).

[ASinclair]

So...since this is the thread about 2021 Games happening/not happening let me ask if anyone knows the status of

Ohio Scottish Games (Wellington). Their site has no information. No, really! None at all. It just says "under construction".

Loch Norman (North Carolina).

Colonial (Fair Hill Maryland). Their site still has the 2019 dates, but I've seen references to 2022 dates.

Ligonier (Pennsylvania).

Loch Norman Highland Games is cancelled again this year, but planning to be held in 2022. See you there next April, Richard?

[SF Jeff]

California quite possibly won't have any until 2022.

I think our only hope for this year is Seaside in Oct.

[FossilHunter]

That's a perfect example of how States vary.

Disney World in Florida has been open since last summer, while Disneyland in California is still closed.

Florida is doing Highland Games, California quite possibly won't have any until 2022.

I work at Disneyland in California, we are gearing up to open at the end of this month, 9 months after Disney World in Florida reopened!

My wife and I just qualified for a vaccination two weeks ago, and got vaccinated yesterday. My family members in Arizona, Nevada, and West Virginia all got vaccinated months ago. Stuff like that is why hundreds of thousands of Californians are escaping the State.

I just heard about this one near Jackson, California. June 2021.

http://celticheritagecelebration.com...hFqEIWatLKsrEI

[OC Richard]

Loch Norman Highland Games is cancelled again this year, but planning to be held in 2022. See you there next April, Richard?

I really enjoyed those! One of these years I want to go back.

As always when planning Games to visit I'm looking to see as many Pipe Bands as possible.

Pre-COVID the largest EUSPBA-sanctioned Pipe Band contests were

Stone Mountain
Fair Hill
Wellington
Capitol District (New York)
Loch Norman
Ligonier

and I've visited four of the six. Post-COVID Ligonier is on the radar!

For whatever reason the Chicago Highland Games have turned into the biggest Pipe Band contest in the USA, so it's a must-see for me, one of these years.

[OC Richard]

I just heard about this one near Jackson, California. June 2021.

http://celticheritagecelebration.com...hFqEIWatLKsrEI

Interesting, thanks for the info.

I'm not familiar with those.

I'm always looking for Pipe Bands, I checked the WUSPBA site for 2018 and that venue isn't listed.

It's expensive for a Highland Games to put on a sanctioned piping & drumming contest because they have to fly in a team of piping and drumming judges. Individually they judge the solo piping and drumming contests in the morning, and collectively they judge the Pipe Band contests in the afternoon.

There's a big upside for the Games because loads of good bands will show up, because they want to rack up points for the year-end aggregate champion.

When a small Games decides they can't afford to pay the judges there's no contest and bands have no reason to come. So the Games hire a couple bands to perform. Generally, but not always, the bands hired are noncompetition bands, that is, below competition standard.

I saw the transformation of a Highland Games when they went from having a sanctioned contest to not. For years they had attracted a dozen or more bands, some of the best bands in that part of the country.

Then one year, with no contest and no bands coming, they hired three poor bands to entertain the public, removing my reason for attending.

[SF Jeff]

I just heard about this one near Jackson, California. June 2021.

http://celticheritagecelebration.com...hFqEIWatLKsrEI

This used to be called the Sonora Celtic Faire and was held on the weekend closest to St Patrick's day. I've been several times and it's a lot of fun. Looks like a different venue this year but if it's happening I'll make the 2 hour drive.

[FossilHunter]

This used to be called the Sonora Celtic Faire and was held on the weekend closest to St Patrick's day. I've been several times and it's a lot of fun. Looks like a different venue this year but if it's happening I'll make the 2 hour drive.

The post I saw on Facebook said it’s combined the resources of the Mother Lode Scots festival and the Sonora Celtic Festival.

I don’t know much about it beyond that. Clan Donald USA plans to have a tent there.

[Livingston]

According to their web site, Ligonier Highland Games will be held on Sept 18, 2021.