Third Annual Highlands Festival

Photo courtesy of whiteface.com

Traditional Highland dress presents a colorful contrast to Whiteface's usually bland appearance.

Whiteface Mountain donned its kilt and grabbed its caber last month as the annual
Scottish Highland Festival returned to the Adirondacks, entertaining the public with traditional dress and lively folk music.

With the unmistakable scent of haggis in the air, crowds flocked to Whiteface in high spirits. Many wore the traditional tartan check, and I could almost hear the bagpipes playing as I approached.

The two-day spectacle on the 13th and 14th of September has been growing since its creation in 2000, and this year was no exception. In its fourth year of running the energetic folk festival attracted around 7,500 spectators to New York's beautiful and scenic northeastern region. On a mild morning in the mountains it is often difficult to forget that we were less than two weeks away from the start of fall, but with this being one of the few events left for the region this year, the hindsight of winter is still ever present.

“I think a lot of why this is so popular is that people are finally knowing and understanding their heritage.” Glengarry Bhoys

The weekend events of Scottish athletics, entertainment and highland dance took place seven miles from the Olympic village of Lake Placid on Route 86 near Wilmington, and was seen by organizers as a success. Despite it being a favorite for many people with Celtic roots, marketing teams are still looking for even greater numbers in the upcoming years - predicting as many as 9,000 people will be attending within a couple of years.

The maclachlans website described the event as 'exploding in popularity' where thousands of people were attracted by the lineup and mix of entertainment, culture and demonstrations. There wasdefinitely something for all tastes and desires, and very few people left the mountain disappointed.

A Musical Treat

In terms of entertainment, popular groups such as the Celtic rock band 'The Glengarry Bhoys' performed, and combinations of folk singers and pipe bands created a well-received supporting act. Indeed, this festival has been a launching point for some of these artists, in particular The Glengarry Bhoys, who were spotted at this festival in the past.

"I think a lot of why this is so popular with music fans is that people are finally knowing and understanding their heritage," says Wright, the band's lead singer.

Last year, Matt Spiegel, owner of the Naked Turtle in Plattsburgh, saw the group play at the Whiteface Mountain Highland Festival and liked what he heard so much that he booked the band to play at his bar and restaurant

In addition to the performing aspect of the weekend's activities there were also competitive events where scottish strong-men put their display of power on show. These included the men’s heavy athletics ProAm competition and stretched as widely as a more entertaining, less exerting highland dancing.

For those of us who preferred just to watch with excited eyes, there were sheep dog demonstrations and Celtic animals, as well as the women’s athletics performances. There was also an interesting mixture of ethnic foods to compliment the wide range of people here, and this was also reflected in large number of clans and vendors attending.

The next Celtic event will be the New York Thistle Fair on the first of November, but after that, the calendar begins to thin out, and it remains that way until Spring rolls back around.

Know of any North Country bands? Email us!