The organizers can barely wait. They are already excited about the 65th annual Scottish Festival and Highland Games even though that event is nearlya month away.
The annual festival has every intention of spilling out of the grounds of the community centre and into the downtown this year. The festival is partnering with the Fergus Legion Branch 275 to bring back to the downtown the parade that disappeared somewhere in the early 1990s.
And festival president Deb Dalziel wants that parade to be big and entertaining. She said the two groups are seeking entrants but they want entrants with entertainment value, and not just advertising. She said, for example, if a car dealer wants to enter, the cars might be driven by clowns, or each vehicle might distribute goodies along the route. Just a row or cars will not be acceptable.
The downtown will be alive with music from Thursday night onward. All the performers at the festival grounds will be performing in downtown venues on the Thursday night, giving folks just a sample of what they can expect at the festival on the weekend.
Sunday has traditionally been a slower day, but not this year.
Organizers Caroline Laing said there will be events on the main field non stop, including a special Heavy Events for children, which will be guided by regular competitors from the Heavy Events. There will be a Kiddie Farmers Walk and a special caber will get tossed.
As well, she said, Peregrine International will be at the festival all weekend and perform a special falconry show on the Sunday.
There will be two parades of massed bands, at noon and later in the afternoon, as well as a grade 5 Pipe Band competition. There will be other musical act that will be announced at a later date.
Laing said she expects the place on Sunday “to be jam packed from 10am to fivish.”
Bruce Lloyd announced Scotland’s Robin Laing will be attending this year and be offering “private nosings.”
Laing is known as the Scotch Whiskey ambassador, and is also a musician and author Edinburgh, Scotland. He will be signing books as well as lecturing. In addition, he will perform his whiskey songs from his latest album as well as lifting “a wee dram” at the nosings.
Lloyd said, “He knows his scotch.”
Katie Sinclair said that festival favourite Tom Leadbeater will be returning this year, and that there will be music throughout the weekend for people of all ages, from traditional Scottish Music to Celtic rock.
Festival Chieftain Stuart Cameron, the youngest Chieftain in the festival’s history, will also be on hand again this year to open the festival and to entertain.
Sinclair said he will be performing “through the weekend.”
Town Pants will return after a one year hiatus.
Fiddlestix will be performing on the Saturday night in the beer tent, and Hadrian’s Wall will be there Sunday afternoon.
Sinclair said all the downtown pubs want “tie ins” with the festival this year, and that there will be music everywhere, because the Tea Garden and Heritage tents will also offer musical entertainment. Even the children’s area will have entertainers.
There will also be fireworks after the Tattoo on Friday night, and, new this year, a fireworks competition on Saturday between Fergus’ twin, Blairgowrie, Scotland, and the local side.
David Whysall won the world fireworks championship in 2008, and indicated he plans a spectacular show on both nights. He will likely be practising because the world championships are in England just weeks after the Scottish Festival.
Dalziel said it was nice to hear the passion that was coming from the committee chairmen. She said the festival has also partnered with Festival Ontario and the Trillium Foundation, which always are interested in what attracts people to various venues.
This year, there will be a study done at the Scottish Festival that will help organizers understand who came from where and why.
