Kilts optional at annual Highland Games
The vibrant strains of bagpipes are calling. On Saturday, the 49th annual Spokane Highland Games will be held at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center.
Publicity chairwoman Donna Graham said the opening ceremony is not to be missed. “People love the pageantry – it’s the most spectacular thing.”
The pipe bands will march in together, followed by the parade of clans. “Each member wears their own tartan,” said Graham.
But the big draw remains the games themselves.
The caber toss is mentioned in history as early as the 16th century. It’s not every day that you see a man in a kilt, toting what looks like a huge telephone pole, then running with it and hurling it through the air.
According to Highland Games chairman Peter Guthrie, technique is everything and distance is unimportant.
“The idea is that the caber turns in the air and lands on its top end,” he said. “The amount of oomph you have to use increases exponentially.”
The “heavy games” feature seven events with 197 competitors registered. Last year, there were enough competitors to have a women’s event, and organizers hope to do the same this year.
Another unusual competition is the farmer’s walk. Guthrie describes it this way: “You lift two very heavy weights and walk as far as you can without dropping them. It’s basically an exercise in agony and endurance.”
Children will be able to participate in their own version of the athletic events.
If athletic endeavors don’t appeal, you might want to relax and listen to the pipe band competition or watch the Highland dance contest.
Animal lovers will enjoy the Highland cattle exhibit and sheepdog demonstrations.
“This year, our focus is the history of the Scots in the Pacific Northwest,” said Guthrie.
The Black Watch Regiment will offer demonstrations of military life in the 1750s, complete with muzzleloading rifles.
Friends of the Spokane House will have an exhibit demonstrating what life in a fur-trading camp was like in the 1800s.
Shoot the English Knight is a popular annual activity. The Scots and the English have a well-documented cantankerous relationship. Guthrie said eager volunteers line up for a chance to use a bow and arrow to try to hit human targets. The Knights of Alhambra dress in heavy chain-mail armor and gamely fend off the rubber-tipped arrows.
Food vendors will offer a wide variety of gastronomic delights, and a beer tent will be set up for the thirsty.
The clans form a big part of the Spokane Highland Games. Their booths contain a wealth of information on Scottish culture and history as well as tips about tracing the genealogy of a particular clan.
And all kinds of Scottish wares from kilts to shortbread will be sold.
Guthrie advises people to save some energy for the evening festivities. “All are welcome to the Ceilidh” (pronounced kay-lee). A ceilidh is a grand celebration featuring music and dancing.
If the bagpipes are calling you, head out to the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center on Saturday. Kilts are not required.