64th Ligonier Highland Games
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  • Flowers Of The Forest
  • 2023 Keg Toss Competition
  • 2023 Shortbread Contest
  • 2023 Clan Donald Educational and Charitable Trust
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  • 2023 Living History
  • 2023 Southminster Ringers
  • 2023 Tartans
  • 2023 Genealogy
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  • 2023 First Time Visitors Guide
  • 2023 Schedule of Events
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  • 2021 Kennedy Society Honored Clan
  • 2019 Clan Henderson Honored Clan
  • 2018 Clan Grant Honored Clan
  • 2017 Clan Murray Honored Clan
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AT IDLEWILD PARK IN LIGONIER, PENNSYLVANIA
GPS ADDRESS:
IDLEWILD & SOAKZONE
2574 U.S. 30
LIGONIER, PA  15658

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2021 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

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Become a sponsor of the Ligonier Highland Games and help us continue the tradition of preserving and promoting Scottish arts and heritage. Your donation will be recognized on our website and in the souvenir program book.  Other benefits can include V.I.P. seating, hotel accommodation and becoming an honorary chieftain.  Click link above to find out more.


SPONSOR A MEDAL/TROPHY SET FOR AN EVENT

THE COSTS OF RUNNING THE HIGHLAND GAMES INCREASE EACH YEAR AND OUR FULLY VOLUNTEER STAFF WORKS HARD TO KEEP COSTS DOWN AND GENEROUSLY SUPPORTS THE GAMES TOO.  YOU CAN HELP BY SPONSORING A MEDAL SET FOR AN EVENT FOR $40 OR A TROPHY/PLAQUE SET FOR $80.  SPONSORS WILL RECEIVE A FREE TICKET AND  BE LISTED ON THE WEBSITE AND IN THE PROGRAM BOOK.
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SPONSOR A SCHOLARSHIP FOR A MUSICIAN OR DANCER

SCHOLARSHIP  SPONSORS WILL RECEIVE TWO FREE TICKETS AND  BE LISTED ON THE WEBSITE AND IN THE PROGRAM BOOK.
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2021 LIGONIER HIGHLAND GAMES SCHEDULE

SOME CHANGES TO SCHEDULE MAY OCCUR DUE TO CONDITIONS ON THE FIELD

62nd Ligonier Highland Games Schedule

Friday, September 17th, 2021

6:00 pm – Professional Piping competition at Holy Trinity Church in Ligonier.  Admission is free. Parking is free.  Light refreshments and drinks available for small donation at the church. Professional pipers, including some who officiate as judges at the Highland Games on Saturday, compete in 3 different categories of solo piping.  Each piper plays a selected tune for the judges in each of three categories – Strathspey & Reel, Hornpipe & Jig, and Piobaireachd.  Winners and prizes announced at awards ceremony Saturday afternoon at Highland Games.
Holy Trinity Church - 342 West Main Street, Ligonier, PA  15658

Saturday, September 18th, 2021

8:00 am – Gates open to the public, tickets available at the gate.  Cash or credit/debit cards accepted at entrance. Bring your own chair(s), picnic basket/cooler and a blanket too!  Free Golf cart shuttles run all day to near Main Field available at stops in Parking Lot A and Parking Lot C.
 
8:00 am – Registration for Piping, Drumming and Pipe Band Competition entries begins at new location Pizza Shack patio (R-6, See Map). All solo piping and drumming competitors and pipe bands can check their registration and event competition schedule which will be posted on the bulletin board.
 
8:00 am – Scottish Vendors villages open at Main Field and new area in Splash Zone with vendors offering a wide variety of Scottish/Celtic goods, books, music, clothing and jewelry as well as equipment and instruments. Cash and major credit cards accepted.
 
8:30 am – Scottish Clans tent area opens to public near Parking Lot D (See Map). Come and find which Clan your family name is associated with and find out more about your extended family in the old country and it’s role in Scottish history.

8:30 am – Highland Dancing registration in Pavilion D2. Competitions begin later in the morning adjudicated by F.U.S.T.A. sanctioned judging guidelines.  The Highland Dancing page contains a schedule of competition categories and links to the FUSTA website and rules.


8:30 am – 9:00 am Scottish Fiddling registration in Pavilion C3. Competitions are adjudicated by Scottish F.I.R.E. judging guidelines.  Please see the webpage for Scottish Fiddlinge for links to the rules and requirements.

9:00 am – Solo Piping and drumming competitions begin at judging stations located near path to waterpark (see map).  Individual pipers and drummers play required tunes under the watchful eye of professional EUSPBA judges to win prizes in various categories. Some are quick while the piobaireachd (pronounced “pea-brook”) can last up to 12 minutes each.


9:00 am – 4:00 pm Highland Dancing competition at Pavilion D2. Youth of all ages compete in multiple categories of traditional Scottish dances, like the Sword Dance and Highland Fling, for prizes and trophies as well as points for regional ranking.
 
9:00 am - Scottish Harp Competition in Pavilion C7. All ages and skill levels work with and are judged by a master Scottish harpist in solo and group competitions playing traditional and modern Scottish tunes on beautifully hand-crafted instruments.


9:00 am – 3:00 pm Gaelic Mód Adjudicated Scotts Gaelic language, poetry and singing demonstration and competition at Pavilion C8. Learn the pronunciation of the wild combination of consonants and vowels in Gaelic.
 
9:00 am - Heavy Athletics competition begins at Main Field. Traditional Scottish competitions test the strength and skill of our kilted competitors. Various competitions such as the stone throw, sheaf toss, hammer throw and caber toss (throwing the phone pole) take place throughout the day in varying order depending the condition of the ground and the number of competitors. Amateur men and women compete in a wide range of age groups.


9:00 am – 4:00 pm Scottish Genealogy assistance and guidelines for research at St. Andrews Society tent group near main field.

9:00 am – 10:00am Scottish Fiddling workshop in Pavilion C3. All ages and skill levels work with and a master Scottish fiddler to learn new techniques and gain insight in what is expected in the traditional tunes required in the competition.

9:30 am – 4:30 pm Scottish tartans research at St. Andrews Society tent group near Main Field and vendor village.  Find information on which Clan you might belong to and their traditional tartan patterns.
 
10:00 am – 10:45 am SCOTTISH/CELTIC MUSICIANS perform at the Hillside Theater.
 
10:00 am – 10:45 am SCOTTISH/CELTIC MUSICIANS perform at the Daniel Tiger Stage.


10:00 am – Celtic spinning and weaving exhibit opens, directed by master weaver Kathy Wells, creator of the Pittsburgh Tartan at St. Andrews Society tent group near main field.  Come and see how the traditional wool kilt was made on the looms and the various tartans were designed and the terminology used in describing the color patterns.
 
10:00 am - 11:30 am - Children’s Games across from the main path shuttle stop.  A free activity for the little ones where they can try kid friendly versions of the athletic events. Best for those ages 10 and younger, all participants get prize ribbons.
 
10:00 am - Noon – Living History and military re-enactors exhibits near Loyalhanna Limited train stop (see map). Re-enactors in period costumes bring to life figures from Scottish military history from the colonial period to the present era.
 
10:30 am - Scottish Fiddling competition in Pavilion C3, judged by our guest master Scottish Fiddler. Watch as soloists from various skill levels compete for prizes in traditional Scottish music categories and techniques.

10:45 am - Heavy Athletics continue at Main Field with Caber Toss.  Watch our athletes attempt to throw the telephone pole and flip it end over end for a perfect score.
 
11:00 am - Southminster Ringers kilted hand-bell team performs near Carousel. These talented young people are under the direction of Mr. Richard Pinkerton from the Southminster Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh and have traveled throughout Europe and the world giving performances that are astonishing in their graceful beauty.


11:00 am - Noon - Pittsburgh Scottish Country Dancers perform at Pavilion E3. Demonstrations and performances of traditional dances that formed the basis of what would become square dancing in America.

11:00 am – 11:45 am SCOTTISH/CELTIC MUSICIANS perform at the Daniel Tiger Stage.

11:15 am – Noon SCOTTISH/CELTIC MUSICIANS perform at the Hillside Theater.
 
11:30 am – Ladies Haggis Toss on Main Field.  A perennial fan favorite. Ladies of all ages are invited to sign up (at the HQ Tent) and compete for cash prizes.  Best of two throws of a 2 pound sandbag haggis is measured for distance. Longest throw wins.
 
11:30 am - Scottish Harp competition prizes and awards Pavilion C 7. All are invited to see this year’s champions in the various categories as they are recognized.
 
Noon - Welcoming Ceremonies, Massed Bands and Parade of Tartans at Main Field. The Scottish Clans, escorted by the Scottish regiment from Fort Ligonier in 1758, lead the procession onto the main field, with 40 or more Clans present, followed by all the attending Bagpipe bands marching onto the field in formation and playing several traditional tunes. Hear the stirring sounds of hundreds of pipers and drummers echoing through the surrounding valley.
 
NOON – 1:00 pm SCOTTISH/CELTIC MUSICIANS perform at the Daniel Tiger Stage.

12:30 pm - Gaelic Mód Medalists perform at the Hillside Theater.  Traditional and modern songs and poems performed in Scotts Gaelic.
 
12:45 pm - Heavy Athletics competition resumes at Main Field. Finals of the Caber Toss and stone weight throws for distance and other events, field conditions permitting.
 

1:00 pm - 1:45 pm - Pittsburgh Scottish Country Dancers perform at Pavilion E3. Explanations of the various dances and their history and relationship to evolution of Scottish culture.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - Children’s Games afternoon session activities across from the main path shuttle stop.  More of the children’s versions of the events the heavy athletes compete in, with ribbons for all participants.

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Highland Dancing Competitions resume at Pavilion D 2. Dancers perform traditional Scottish gambols such as the Sword Dance, Highland Fling and Seann Triubhas, in all age and skill levels.
 
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm – Living History and military re-enactors exhibits resume near Loyalhanna Limited train stop,  See how the soldiers of Scotland have served around the world throughout the past three hundred years.

1:15 pm – 2:00 pm SCOTTISH/CELTIC MUSICIANS perform at the Daniel Tiger Stage.

1:30 pm – 2:15 pm SCOTTISH/CELTIC MUSICIANS perform at the Hillside Theater.

1:30 pm - Drum Major Competition at Main Field. Where the pipe band leaders are judged on appearance, comportment and skill according to EUSPBA rules.
 
1:30 pm - Scottish Harp performance at Clan Forsyth tent in Scottish Clans Area. The Ringold ensemble plays tunes at the tent area of a sponsor and supporter of the event.
 

2:00 pm - Scottish Harp workshop Pavilion C 7. The adjudicator leads the participants in learning more advanced techniques in the traditional Scottish Harping.

2:00 pm - Barra the Bard traditional Scottish storyteller, performs at Birthday Party Room. Barra tells stories handed down over generations in a form and rhythm that has endured in Scotland for centuries when many people could not read or write and relied on the stories to pass along histories and traditions and instruct people of all ages.
 
2:15 pm – 3:00 pm SCOTTISH/CELTIC MUSICIANS perform at the Daniel Tiger Stage.

2:45 pm – 3:30 pm SCOTTISH/CELTIC MUSICIANS perform at the Hillside Theater.

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Pipe Band Competition on Main Field. Each band performs several tunes individually under the watchful eyes of three EUSPBA judges for ranking in their respective Grades for this Games and the cumulative season ranking.
 
3:00 pm - Scottish Harp freestyle music session Pavilion C 7. With the competition over, the harpists play tunes with some of the techniques they’ve learned.
 
3:15pm – 4:00 pm SCOTTISH/CELTIC MUSICIANS perform at the Daniel Tiger Stage.

3:30 pm - Tug-of-War event at Main Field open to all children. Groups of youngsters can either form their own teams/groups or be helped to evenly divided teams by the Games staff.  All participants receive a souvenir Tug of War button.
 
4:00 pm Southminster Ringers kilted handbell team performs near the Carousel. The final afternoon performance of one of the best handbell choirs in the nation.
 

4:00 pm - Scottish Country Dance Workshop open to public participation at Pavilion E3. Learn from the experts some dance moves and terminology.

4:00 pm – 4:45 pm SCOTTISH/CELTIC MUSICIANS perform at the Hillside Theater.

5:00 pm - Awards Ceremony at Main Field and Final Massed Bands performance. All the participating bagpipe bands march onto the field in formation and play a massed performance.  Winners of the piping and drumming competitions are announced and trophies and prizes awarded, followed by the hundreds of pipers and drummers giving a stirring rendition of Amazing Grace before marching off in formation of waves.
 
5:30 pm –Keg Toss competition on Main Field, open to any willing participants.  Our final event of the day with cash prizes for men and women of various age groups.  Best of two attempts to throw an 18 pound sixth keg for distance, longest throw wins.

DIRECTIONS TO IDLEWILD PARK

ADDRESS FOR GPS USE:
Idlewild & SoakZone
2574 U.S. 30
Ligonier, PA 15658

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© COPYRIGHT LIGONIER HIGHLAND GAMES 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.