The BIGGEST???

[AcuteEnigma]

So which games have more clan tents and/or more attendees?

Pleasanton?
Stone Mountain?
Grandfather Mountain?
?
?

[ShaunMaxwell]

I've not been to Pleasanton or Stone Mountain, but we traveled to NC for the GFM games this year, and on the one day we were there that wasn't a torrential downpour, I'll have to say that it was by far the largest Scottish event I've ever attended. I'll leave it to others to comment on the actual numbers, but I reckon that if you took all the attendees from all of the Texas games I've attended the past several years and put them together, it wouldn't equal the number of folks I saw at GFM.

[ctbuchanan]

I think if you go strictly by the number of clans, Grandfather Mountain by far has the most with well over 100 clans surrounding the field (perhaps as high as 140). To be honest I don't think anyone else comes close.
As for the size of the games and attendance there are several games that may be bigger. In that group that I know of would be: New Hampshire Highland Games (athletics and pipe bands bigger than GFM), Stone Mountain (fewer clans but lots going on), Long's Peak in Estes Park Colorado, and Pleasanton, California.
In this last group you are probably looking at 60-80 clans which is still pretty big. It all depends on what you are looking for.
There may be more big 3 day games, but these are the ones I have been to. You can usually find a list of clans in attendance at the website for any games if you are looking for a specific one.

[Thomas H]

Biggest ? Grandfather
Best ? Stone Mountain High land games (Hands down )

Grand Father this year was a Muddy mess - I did not care for it .

I have not been to Pleasanton.

Try the Stone Moutain Highland games - the cooler wheather in Oct 20 is nice and the games are nicer and there is more to do there .

** If you buy a ticket ( arm band at the gate of the games ) you can enjoy everything the
Stone Mountain has to offer - it is a wonderfull place - with the pipes bonceing off the
rock .
Stone Mountain (only in my opinon ) is the best game .
Next would have to be the Blairsville Highland games in Blairsville Georgia
on and on we could go , but where would we stop

[Livingston]

I would agree with ctb. Grandfather Mountain, Loon Mountain (NH), Stone Mounatin, Longs Peak, and Pleasanton are the 5 largest. I did a review a year or so ago for our clan to find out which were the largest. I basically judged that on the number of clans and pipe bands as well as the area it took up at the venue.

[mookien]

FWIW, Wikipedia under the heading "Highland games" states the following:

The Cowal Highland Gathering, better known as the Cowal Games, held in Dunoon, Scotland, every August, is the largest Highland games in the world, attracting around 3,500 competitors and somewhere in the region of 23,000 spectators from around the globe. Worldwide, however, it is exceeded in terms of spectators by two gatherings in the United States: the 50,000 that attend Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina and the even larger gathering—the largest in the Northern Hemisphere that has taken place every year since 1865 hosted by the Caledonian Club of San Francisco. This event is currently held on Labor Day weekend in Pleasanton, California.

[JohntheBiker]

FWIW, Wikipedia under the heading "Highland games" states the following:

The Cowal Highland Gathering, better known as the Cowal Games, held in Dunoon, Scotland, every August, is the largest Highland games in the world, attracting around 3,500 competitors and somewhere in the region of 23,000 spectators from around the globe. Worldwide, however, it is exceeded in terms of spectators by two gatherings in the United States: the 50,000 that attend Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina and the even larger gathering—the largest in the Northern Hemisphere that has taken place every year since 1865 hosted by the Caledonian Club of San Francisco. This event is currently held on Labor Day weekend in Pleasanton, California.

If you check Wikipedia under Glengarry Highland Games in Maxville, Ontario you will see the claim that they are the largest games outside of Scotland. Who knows. Depends on what you count. As home to the North American Pipe Band Championship, they draw in the order of 50,000 folks each year. They certainly have a lot of bands competing.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

As far as one day games are concerned Greenville, SC, is the clear winner with almost 30,000 paid admissions this year.

[Cecil]

Central Florida Highland games has a two day event now. Lots of tents, clans, food, drink and games. Its located at Winter Springs, Florida north of Orlando.

[cessna152towser]

Biggest games I have been to was the New Hampshire Games in 2010, three day event.
Last Saturday the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow had 35,000 attendees for a one day event. Mostly about pipe bands but they do also include mens, ladies and teams heavy athletics contests and highland dancing. No clan tents though.