The National Youth Pipe Band of New Zealand is pictured at last year’s Penticton Scottish Festival.

Image Credit: Gord Goble

The sounds of bagpipes and drums, the tossing of cabers, the grace of Highland dancers, and two days of festivities are all on tap this weekend as the annual Penticton Scottish Festival takes over King’s Park.

The festival celebrates all things Scottish, and everyone is invited to join the fun, said Wayne McDougall, vice president of the Penticton Scottish Festival Society.

“I think this is our 10th year, minus the two years we lost because of COVID, and I’ve been around since the beginning,” said McDougall, a born-and-bred Canadian whose father’s side of the family grew up in Scotland.

“For me, being involved in this festival allows me the chance to discover my own personal roots by participating in a festival that showcases the pride and heritage of proud people with Scottish roots and help others discover their heritage.”

While Penticton doesn’t have a large Scottish population, local support for the festival has been strong since day one—and the event continues to grow in popularity, McDougall said.

“We’re very pleased that the community has come together—whether it’s sponsors and volunteers, families, individuals, or the general public—to support the event,” he said.

Though based in Penticton, the festival was always intended to attract people of Scottish heritage from across the Okanagan Valley. That remains true today, as participants from throughout the region come to showcase their artistic talents and compete in traditional Highland games, McDougall explained.

“It’s in some ways a competition and in other ways a showcase of music, dance, and all things Scottish,” he said.

All events take place at King’s Park sports fields, located at 550 Eckhardt Avenue West. Festivities kick off tonight (July 4) with a free Celtic concert.

Callum Beaumont, a piping judge from Scotland, will perform alongside dancers from the Emily McDonald School of Highland Dance in a special one-hour concert beginning at 6:30 p.m.

“It’s a bit of a teaser to what one might find at a Highland Games, if they’ve never been to one,” McDougall said. “It’s all free. Callum is a bagpiper extraordinaire and he’s one of the judges who will judge the pipe bands and individual pipers who will compete Saturday. He will play a few tunes. The other part of the concert is the dancers performing different styles of Scottish dance.”

All festival activities will take place within the fenced area across three soccer fields at King’s Park.

Saturday promises a full day of excitement, with gates opening at 8 a.m. and festivities continuing for a full 12 hours until the festival wraps up around 8 p.m., said McDougall.

“Competitors from around B.C., Alberta and Washington State arrive as they will be competing in solo piping and drumming,” he said. “These solo competitors are asked to play a particular style of song to a judge. They’re marked on their musicality, tempo, and any mistakes they make. There are literally a dozen people playing at once.

“That’s the advantage of spreading the competitions and music out over a large space. I call it sort of like a six-ring circus. There’s stuff going on all over the place.

“You can be over at one part of the park listening to Highland dancing and pipers, then you can wander over and watch the solo piping, then the pipe bands come on. Then there’s the heavy events, such as the iconic caber toss and a number of different sporting events that are always a highlight at any Scottish festival.”

Most competitions begin at 9 a.m. and run through the morning into the late afternoon. The official opening ceremonies begin at 12:30 p.m. and will feature a parade of performers and athletic competitors.

“The Summerland Pipes and Drums will lead off the parade and there will be a parade of the different clans representing different Scottish families,” McDougall said. “Then we’re back into the various competitions that continue all afternoon.

“The three legs that we feature, like all Scottish Highland games, are the pipe bands, the Highland dancing, and the heavy events.”

In addition to the caber toss, other athletic events include the hammer throw, sheaf toss, and various weight throws.To ensure the festival appeals to all ages, organizers have created a Scot Castle Kids Zone, featuring castle cutouts and Scottish-themed children’s activities. These include face painting and a “Hurl the Haggis Toss.”

“The haggis is this little crocheted creature that looks like a hedgehog and the kids will be able to pick it up and throw it as far as they can,” McDougall said.

There will also be a caber toss for kids.

“The kids will be able to imitate the adults by tossing the caber,” he said.

Throughout the day, the entertainment stage will feature local musicians including Good Craic, Jiggs Dinner, and the Cherry Groove Quartet, along with singer-songwriters Gord McLaren, Jeff Andrew, and Danielle Savage.

Six bagpipe bands will compete starting at 2 p.m.

A new addition to this year’s festival is a dog agility competition, which will run all day Saturday. There will also be a duck herding demonstration, led by McDougall’s brother-in-law Lawrence Bergstrand from the Kamloops area, featuring his herding dog Taz and Indian runner ducks. Demonstrations take place at 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.

Guests can try on a traditional Great Kilt at the Culture Tent, offering fun photo opportunities for friends and families.

Dan and Barb Coyle, longtime festival volunteers, have been named Chieftain of the Day for the 2025 festival.

“Dan Coyle has led our Massed Bands event as Drum Major. His wife Barb Coyle runs the Cultural Tent, where you will find tartans, clan maps, and all things Scottish,” said McDougall.

“We try and set up the entertainment so that it’s available and of interest to all ages. People are invited to come and enjoy and spend a couple of hours trying out a few fun things.”

This year, Celtic Spirit Lager will make its debut as the festival’s featured adult beverage. The new release from Penticton’s Highway 97 Brewery features artwork by local artist Ron Gladish, capturing Munson’s Mountain adorned with tartans of local Scottish families.

The festival will also host a Whiskey School with three tasting classes throughout the day.

Sponsored by the South Okanagan Whisky Tasting Society, the classes will be led by Richard Blanchard, Brand Ambassador for Macaloney Island Distillery. Tastings include:

• Na Braiche
• An Loy (World’s Best Single Malt Award)
• Peated Kildara (World’s Best Pot Still)
• Peat Project EBC
• Peat Project Islay

Blanchard is Macaloney’s Whiskey Sales Ambassador for Canada and brings extensive industry experience, having worked with Glenfiddich, Old Pulteney, Balblair, and Diageo.

A Vendor Villa will showcase arts, treats, and Celtic culture, while the Culture Tent offers visitors the chance to explore their heritage.

At 11 a.m., the Naramata Scottish Country Dancers will perform folk dances—some dating back hundreds of years. This traditional style was a predecessor to modern square dancing and includes audience participation.

Weekly Scottish Country Dance classes are held Thursday nights from September to April at the Penticton Seniors’ Drop-In Centre.

Awards and closing ceremonies begin at 4:30 p.m., but the cultural exhibits, entertainment stage, and beverage tent will remain open until 8 p.m.

With a great weather forecast, McDougall is confident the event will draw large, enthusiastic crowds on both Friday and Saturday.

Tonight’s concert is free.

Admission for Saturday is as follows:

• Adults (19+): $20
• Seniors (65+): $15
• Youth (13–18): $15
• Children (6–12): $5

Tickets are available online at www.PentictonScottishFestival.ca. You must be 19 or older to attend the Whiskey School.

— This article was originally published by the Penticton Herald

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