Break out the silver tartans, it’s the Canmore Highland Games and Festival’s 25th anniversary, and it will offer new attractions for visitors to coincide with familiar favourites.
The games and festival take place this weekend (Sept. 5-6) in Canmore’s Centennial Park, and will offer new events and amenities, including a scotch tasting and children’s area to correspond with the fan-favourite heavy sporting events, music, vendors and highland dancers.
Volunteers are still needed this year and if you have five hours to spare on the Saturday or Sunday, the Highland Games Society will make the experience a fun and meaningful experience.
Community volunteers are the backbone of the games and receive a meal for their service with a variety of volunteer tasks and shift times to choose from. Volunteers receive items provided by local merchants, and an entry into the post-highland games volunteer draw for a chance to win one of many gift certificates provided by Bow Valley partner businesses.
“You can only pay in advance for the Ceilidh, and if they go to the website you can pay right on the spot through Showclix, which is the ticket firm which is handling it for us,” said Highland Games Society member John Parboosingh. “Usually they are sold out by the games’ opening day.”
Saturday’s Taste of the Highlands event, featuring beverages and brands including fine Scotch whisky and craft beer, are available online at the Highland Games website, but will also be available for purchase at the gates.
“For the Taste of the Highlands you are better to buy online because when you arrive you get 10 free drink sample tickets on arrival,” said Highland Games Society president Sandy Bunch. “For the Ceilidh, as of five days ago, we were over 50 per cent sold, they go very quickly.”
Sunday’s events will include the heavy sporting games, highland dancing, sheepdog demonstrations, piping and the official opening ceremony at 1 p.m. “The North Stratton Pipe Band, which was just awarded as eighth best in the world, will be playing at the opening ceremony, there will be black powder demonstration and we’re still looking for teams in the tug of war events with prizes of $2,000 for each,” Bunch said.
For more information on volunteering, contact Parboosingh at [email protected] or 403-609-3321.
At the Highland Games gate:
Taste of the Highlands, Sat. Sept. 5
6-10 p.m., Ed McNally Big Rock Festival Tent (heated)
Adults 18 and over: $30
Admission includes your first 10 taste tickets to start the evening.
Canmore Highland Games, Sun. Sept. 6
8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Centennial Park
Adults 18 and over: $23
Seniors (65+) and Youth (13-17 yrs): $20
Kids (6-12 years): $5
Under 6: Free
Admission includes all daytime events in Centennial Park
Evening Ceilidh, Sun. Sept. 6
6-11 p.m., Ed McNally Big Rock Festival Tent (heated)
All ages: $50
The Ceilidh features a full night of Celtic entertainment and celebration featuring music by St. James Gate and more.
Highland games tickets will be available to purchase online at www.canmorehighlandgames.ca until Friday (Sept. 4) at 11:59 p.m.
