FERGUS – Organizers are feeling the festival spirit as they welcome the return of the Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games after two long years.
Hosting the first traditional live event since the start of the pandemic, the 2022 Fergus Scottish Festival takes place Aug. 12 to 14 and will feature the four pillars festival attendees have to come to know – Heavy Events, Highland Dance, Clans and Heritage, and Pipes and Drums.
Festival executive director Elizabeth Bender said with pandemic restrictions easing organizers will be presenting something very similar to what attendees will have seen in 2019 when the last in person festival was held.
“We are absolutely thrilled, there’s a lot of excitement,” Bender told the Advertiser.
“This is what we do, this is what we love,” she added. “So we are very excited to get back and give everyone the best of Scotland without the airfare.”
So far, Bender said community response has been great and people are thrilled for the return of the festival, adding organizers are “pulling out all the stops this year.”
Featured guests attending this year’s festival include Outlander author Diana Gabaldon – who has previously been a festival guest – alongside Duncan Lacroix, who plays Murtaugh on the TV adaptation and Gillebride MacMillan who stars as Gwyllyn the Bard in Season 1 of the series.
“For us, it’s huge,” Bender said. “We already had Duncan Lacroix. We were thrilled that he was coming, but to now have Diana Gabaldon on top of that is amazing.
“She is just such a down to earth person, and we are thrilled that she said she’d come back to little Fergus and do something for us.”
Bender said there will be opportunities to see Gabaldon and Lacroix throughout the weekend, with festival organizers looking to arrange a panel or Q & A session but she noted details are still being worked out and more information will be released soon.
“Then we’ll have all of our traditional things that you’ve come to expect,” Bender said. “A big part of the Scottish Festival is the Highland Games component.”
This year’s in person event will feature the four pillars festival attendees have to come to know – Heavy Events, Highland Dance, Clans and Heritage, and Pipes and Drums, among other features. Advertiser file photo
In addition to some guest appearances, the heavy events competitions will in full swing, Bender explained, along with the traditional Highland Dance Competitions and Pipes and Drums.
Other features will include the traditional Clans and Heritage area, highland cows, sheep shearing demonstrations, music entertainment, a tea and a whiskey tent and a children’s area.
“Really, we’ve hit all of the components of what you’ve come to expect and then enough to draw you in if you want something new this year,” Bender said.
The festival will also be welcoming back the Red Hot Chili Pipers, the Mudmen, David Leask, Tommy Leadbetter, Bob MacLean and newcomers Banda Taverna, all the way from Brazil.
“We’ve got the powerhouse of music, and then we’ve got our fan favorites and then something new, which is great too coming back after all of these years,” Bender added.
Returning from the pandemic
In terms of COVID-19 management, Bender said organizers have been working on precautions, including extra hand sanitizing stations and disinfecting and cleaning protocols, to mitigate any concerns or hesitations people may have about attending an in-person event.
“It will enhance the experience and just let people enjoy the festival and not have to worry,” she explained.
“We just kind of turned it up a notch and then met some of the new requirements that were out there,” Bender added. “Even if there are no longer restrictions, we still are making sure we’re doing our best to present those things.”
Pre-pandemic, the festival was home to a crowd of over 20,000 over the course of the weekend.
Bender said running the event virtually has drawn in some new audiences, noting last year’s virtual event brought in over 28,000 views.
“It was a bit of a silver lining,” she said. “We got to introduce the festival to people who had never experienced it before.
“And now some of those people are saying ‘I saw it online, I’m coming to see the live event,’” she explained. “So we’re anticipating to see some new faces this year too.”
Other event features include highland cows, sheep shearing demonstrations, music entertainment, a tea and a whiskey tent and a children’s area. Advertiser file photo
Through partnerships with the BIA and several community sponsorships from businesses, Bender said it’s been great to have the extra support coming out of the pandemic, adding “everyone’s rallying around to make the event as good as it is and better than it can be.”
“[The volunteers] put in so much time and energy, and they smile and laugh,” she explained. “When we’re here on the weekend, it’s amazing.
“I’ve always said that I’ve never met a group of people like the Fergus Scottish Festival folks,” she added. “Just that energy, it keeps you going, it keeps your spirits high.”
Bender said there has been a lot of planning and a lot of work put into bringing the festival back, but organizers are ready.
“There’s always the last-minute kind of hectic pieces,” she said. “But we’re ready, we’re ready to put on a great event and get back out there.
“And we know people are going to be understanding that it’s been two years, and we’re just getting back into the game again,” she added.
“So 39 days, we’ll be here on the Sportsplex grounds, putting on a great event.”
As the festival date approaches, Bender said she’s feeling the festival spirit, although she’s not sure she ever stops feeling it, especially this year.
“This year in particular, I think it will mean a little bit more because it’ll just be nice to have the something familiar back,” she said.
“I think people are really going to feel the spirit … and it just kind of puts Fergus on the map and Centre Wellington on the map.”
Boost for downtown
With the festival being a significant economic driver over the weekend in the past, Bender said this year is going to be particularly powerful, adding it will be a nice boost for the downtown and the community in general.
“We’re trying to do things that are festival related, but also pull in elements of our community so everyone knows it’s not just the Scottish Festival,” she explained. “We are part of this bigger picture in this great community.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit fergusscottishfestival.com. Weekend and Day passes are available and there are discounts for youth and seniors. Children under 12 are free.
Information and updates can also be found on the festival’s Facebook page.
