Your newest fun fall activity!

... should be any Scottish Highland Game festivals in your area! I grew up going to Highland Games. Most often we went to the Stone Mountain Highland Games in Stone Mountain, Georgia but I think we went to a couple smaller ones here and there. It's always in October, and it's always absolutely fantastic, with great food, Scottish dancing, bagpipes out to wazoo and fantastic examples of traditional and dress outfits. All in (usually) fall weather, which I love. There are also vendor booths with fun stuff to look at (or buy) and the kids run around in their cute little kilts!







Despite the fact that A and I respectively have very Scottish (him) or Irish (me) last names, neither of us are of either descent, which totally bums me out sometimes because I would LOVE to be able to do some things that I feel like okay people of that descent can do. Like train sheepdogs or throw logs or wear a clan kilt- notice eating haggis was not in that list. We aren't "poseurs," so we just kind of... go. Kind of like people go to ComicCon but don't dress up.





Yes, I am going to publicly admit that I love bagpipe music. Seriously. I realize it's not everyone's style (ha) but I genuinely love it and have cd's upon cd's of it on my iPod that I usually play when I'm stressed out. It's not very often you meet someone that can stand it, much less know how to play, so hearing it live is so cool to me. Watching them actually play makes me jealous since it requires a lung capacity that I just don't have. And coordination for, you know, walking and playing at the same time. And the willingness to annoy the heck out of most people- forever- no matter how good you get! They are seriously beautiful and ornate instruments, not to mention difficult to learn.






What it ultimately boils down to- and it isn't the log throwing or the kilts or the bagpipes or the haggis stuffed meat pies- is the energy dedicated to this event and the intensity of the people involved. There are so, so many people there all because they want to celebrate their traditions and their families, present and future. And I just love that, because not only are they celebrating with each other, but they're also allowing "outsiders" so share in it as well. And that energy is absolutely contagious.







So if you get a chance, please go! Look them up online, or pay attention to local activity boards for your region. They're so fun and they make for great memories. To this day, it's one of my favorite family activities, one that my brother and I both laugh at but also reminisce about.