Coming up this weekend, WNYers are invited to visit the 33rd Annual Buffalo Niagara Scottish Festival. This is a festival unlike any other that you have ever attended. There are so many activities going on, that it’s hard to keep track. Some of the highlights of the two-day event include Buffalo Heavies Highland Games (10:00am to 4:30pm each day), featuring the following competitions: Open Stone Put, Braemar Stone, Heavy Weight for Distance, Light Weight for Distance, Heavy Hammer Throw, Light Hammer Throw, Caber Toss, Sheaf Toss and Weight over bar or Weight for Height.
The crux of the festival takes place on…
Saturday, August 19 | 10:00 am – 8:30 pm
Sunday, August 20 | 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
During the festival, visitors are invited to explore the villages historic buildings and exhibits.
Living History (10:00am – 5:00pm each day)
Victorian Dancers (3:30 pm on August 19)
Weavers Guild, Quilters Guild, Lace Guild, Woodwrights Guild, Farmstead and 11 Historic Buildings.
There will be Scottish fare, beer, bag piping, clan row, music and dancing, music workshops, Celtic vendors and the highly anticipated Highland Games. Also be sure to catch the musical entertainment, living history and Scottish Sgoil offerings, and opening/closing ceremonies.
Scottish Sgoil: Address to Haggis (2:00pm each day), Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, Schiehallion Highland Dancers, The Dog and Ewe Sheep herding (10:00 am – 5:00pm each day).
Clans attending: Clan Baird, Clan Claus Society, Clan Cumming, Clan Douglas, Clan Ferguson, Clan Forsyth, Clan Gunn, Clan Henderson, Clan Turnbull, Clan MacLeod (there can be only one!), Clan Donald, and the Scottish Heritage Society of the Rochester area.
Pipe Bands (August 19th & 20th): Celtic Spirit, Gordon Highlanders, Buffalo Bagpipe Band Club, Mackenzie Highlanders, 96th Highlanders Pipes and Drums, Feadon Or Pipe Band, LBS Highlanders, Caedonians Pipe Band (Competition only), Erie County Sheriff Pipes and Drums (Sunday Mass Band only).
Music and dance acts to look forward to include MacKenzie Highlanders’ Pipes and Drums, Buffalo Bagpipe Band Club, Rush the Growler, The Gordon Highlanders, The Schiehallion Highland Dancers, Celtic Spirit Pipe Band, Mary Lester (harp), The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, McCarthyizm, Tom Keefer and the Celtic Cross, Step In Time, Penny Whiskey and Cairde.
Following are a number of events and activities to look forward to over the weekend:
On Saturday, August 19, 2017 there will be a fiddle workshop by Mari Black world champion fiddler from 1:30pm – 2:45pm and a Guitar workshop by Will MacMorran from 4:00pm – 5:00pm.
Craig Munro world champion bagpiper, member of the Red Hot Chili Pipers, and Production Director of Wallace Bagpipes will be performing at 6:00pm on August 19, 2017.
Solo and Band Piping and Drumming Competitions to Western New York and the Buffalo Niagara Scottish Festival. Solo competitions will be in the morning on August 19, 2017 and band competitions in the afternoon on August 19, 2017. The three judges are Craig Munro from the Red Hot Chili Pipers, Tom Foote, and Peter Sinclair. The Solo competitions will take place from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. The Band competitions will take place from 1:00 – 3:00 pm.
Saturday, August 19th, beginning at 6:00 pm, the brand new Red Hot Celtic Night will kick off at the 33rd Annual Buffalo Niagara Scottish Festival. Spend your evening with World Champion Scottish Fiddler Mari Black, World Champion Scottish Piper Craig Munro of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, and Award Winning Guitarist Bill Craig formerly of the Irish Rovers.
Workshop: Fiddle Workshop by World Class Fiddler Mari Black (Saturday, August 19th, 1:30 – 2:45 pm).
Workshop: Guitar Workshop by Will MacMorran (Saturday, August 19th, 4:00 – 5:00 pm).
On Sunday, August 20, 2017 there will be a bagpipe workshop by Craig Munro from the Red Hot Chile Pipers and world champion bagpiper from 1:45pm – 3:15pm.
Workshop: Bagpipe Workshop by World Champion Piper Craig Munro of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers (Sunday, August 20th, 1:45 – 3:15 pm).
Vendors: Eirie’s Irish Gifts, Green Dragon, Artist, Henderson Arms, Lord of the Seas, Maillecontent Faries, McNerney’s Irish Imports, Peek Leaf Tea, ScottishStoreOnline, St. Kilda USA, The Celtic Cottage, and The Larkin Tea Co.
Food by Scottish Cottage, Fowler’s Fish and Chips, Banchetti by Rizzo’s, Fowler’s Fish and Chips, Jack’s Delicious Fries, Johny’s Fried Dough, New York Beer Project, Outback Kettle Corn, Sweet Melody’s, and Yakisobas.
Admission to the event: $13 Adults, $11 Military & Seniors, $10 Members, Children 12 and under FREE
Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village’s 33rd Annual Buffalo Niagara Scottish Festival | 3755 Tonawanda Creek Road | Amherst, NY 14228
Festival sponsor ScottishStoreOnline.com
Scottish Festival Pre Game Party
Hosted by New York Beer Project
Friday, August 18, 2017
7 PM – 1 AM
NYBP 6933 South Transit Road, South Lockport, New York 14094
There were bagpipes all over the house, kilts, Scottish drinking songs, more kilts, Scottish beer releases, wool socks in the summer, fiddles, Scottish tales, yet more kilts…but the best part… it’s about to happen again. Scottish music and drinking songs performed by Tom Keefer and his band Celtic Cross out in the Beirgarten beginning at 7pm.
The Buffalo Bagpipe Band Club will take a few ceremonial parades throughout the entire brewery before performing in the Beirgarten and Stone’s Throw, and NYBP’s Special Edition Release of a Scottish Wee Heavy Ale will be pouring all evening. Kilts are optional.