For those who don’t know, the NH Highland Games & Festival is one of the largest and most diverse Highland Games held in the United States. The three-day event takes place at Loon Mountain Resort, Lincoln, NH and includes the games, sheep herding demonstrations, outstanding music, great displays of individual and band marching performances, traditional dancing, harp concerts, whiskey and beer tasting and of course the food! The schedule is color coded to mark the categories: Music, Competition, Seminar, Dance, Athletics, and Youth. You don’t have to have Scottish blood in you (I don’t) to love the pageantry and enjoy great times.
The NH Pipes and Drums performs in front of the crowd at the parade grounds. They have previously been in Londonderry’s Old Home Day Parade.
There’s nothing like the pageantry of the massing of the bands and the precision movements!
This year’s event (September 16-18) included a new band from Scotland, “Skerryvore”, and the fan favorites “Brigadoons”,”Albannach”,Glengarry Bhoys”, “John Carmichael”, “Searson”, just to name a few.
It was fun to walk among all the Clan tents. Each Clan will tell you its history and present the names of the families associated with them. And, of course, there was the “Calling of the Clans” on Saturday when all Clans march on the parade grounds in traditional garb to answer the roll call.
It was a welcome reprieve after completing a very demanding primary season and one of my perennial favorite fall festivals!
Doug Thomas 