155 Riverside Parkway, New Glasgow, NS B2H 5E1, Canada
The official opening of the Festival of the Tartans will take place at the Glasgow Square Gazebo. If it rains, the event will be relocated to inside the Glasgow Square Theatre. Listen to the Na Gaisgich Pipes and Drums and be greeted by the Mayor of New Glasgow and other dignitaries. Enjoy a social hour, with tea and cakes provided. This event provides an extra day of Scottish heritage for everyone to enjoy!
151 Fraser Mountain Branch Rd, New Glasgow, NS B2H 5C4, Canada
Did you know? The kilt is the official dress of Scotland. Don one and attend the Kilted Golf Tournament! This longstanding tradition features teams teeing off in full highlands garb. Sign up as a team or individual for this fun day on the links! (Kilts and/or tartan not mandatory but encouraged). Spectators can also enjoy the sounds of the pipes on the greens.
Provost St, New Glasgow, NS B2H 5E1, Canada
Shine up your classic ride and come on out! The cars are parked on New Glasgow's downtown Provost Street, with the historic charm of its buildings and vibrant shops as a backdrop to these unique vintage vehicles. Traffic will be shut down for this fun event. A BBQ will also be available, where you can savour some great food.
Terrace St, New Glasgow, NS B2H 5J6, Canada
$12 gets you a great chicken meal with all the fixings smoked over a huge outdoor barbecue, with all funds going directly to the Kinsmen Minor Baseball Program. Make sure to buy your tickets in advance for this tasty annual favourite, as this event often sells out!
739 E River Rd, New Glasgow, NS B2H 5E9, Canada
Seniors are a big part of the Festival of the Tartans, and this event is made specifically for them! Held at Glen Haven Manor, seniors are welcome to come enjoy a cup of tea and snack with pipers, Highland dancers and musical entertainment. Fantastic chance too to visit family members living at the Glen Haven Manor. A wonderful event for the residents and the public to enjoy each year!
On the Samson Trail near 45 Blair St, New Glasgow, NS B2H 2C3, Canada
Bring a chair and come listen to some traditional Celtic fiddle music Rotary Park, a small park on the Samson trail with picturesque views of the East River and downtown New Glasgow. Come enjoy a relaxing evening, as the sounds of Scotland fill the air.
Tartan Field @ 603 Walker St, New Glasgow, NS B2H 3N2, Canada
Scottish Highland dancing is one of the oldest forms of folk dance. One of the highlights of our Festival, the Highland dancing competitions attracts teams from across the region. Enjoy watching these dancers as they compete in a variety of traditional dances, including Pas de Basques, Fling, Sword, Lilt, Hornpipe, and many more! Registration forms, competition rules and travel directions are available on the website.
Tartan Field @ 603 Walker St, New Glasgow, NS B2H 3N2
Did you know, in Gaelic, ‘bagpipe’ translates into P’iob mho’r, literally meaning ‘big pipe’? Come listen to bagpipers from around the region compete at the first ever Atlantic Canada Open Quartet Championships at this year’s Festival of the Tartans! This new event will see bagpipe quartets competing for a $1000 prize! Pipers of all ages and abilities are welcome to enter.
Come on out and see this marvelous parade and cheer on the many pipe bands that are in town! Feel free to join in the parade as our pipe bands march from Downtown New Glasgow to Tartan Field to kick off the festival! The swell of Celtic music throughout the town is something you won't want to miss!
Saturday marks the opening of the Festival’s Highland Games at Tartan Field, which hosts a number of exciting events throughout the day. Events include, the Highland dancing competitions, the piping & drumming competitions, and the Scottish heavyweight athletic events, which features stone putts, hammer throws, "weight-for-distance", "weight-for-height", boot toss, rolling pin toss and the amazing caber toss. This is something you definitely do not want to miss!
Location: Tartan Field
All our pipers join together at the end of the day for a Mass Pipes and Drums display. The bands will be playing all the familiar classic tunes. This is your last chance to catch some traditional Scottish music at the festival, so don't miss out! It always a rousing event!
Location: Loch Broom Historic Log Church,1576 Loch Broom Loop, Pictou.
The Kirkin O’ the Tartan is a ceremony celebrated on special occasions during a church service. "Kirking", from the Scottish Gaelic word "kirk" which means church, in this usage means “blessing.” At this unique and traditional church service, you are welcome to bring along your tartans for blessing. All are welcome, and the wearing of tartan is encouraged. It is held every year on the final day of the Festival.
