Texas Scottish Festival June 6-8, Arlington, TX

World Champion Gregor Edmunds

Participant in World Highland Games Championship

Texas Scottish Festival

June 6-8

Arlington, Texas

http://www.texasscottishfestival.com/

That exciting time of year is here, when people are busy getting ready for the Texas Scottish Festival and World Championship Highland Games to be held at Maverick Stadium in Arlington. This is the University of Texas at Arlington stadium. People are coming from all over the world to participate and to enjoy this festival. It sounds like a really interesting and fun weekend.

While it has a Scottish theme, this event is for everyone.

I've added some links in the sidebar to the Festival, to some of the vendors, and to some of the many outstanding musicians who will be performing. Look under Music to find the Musicians. I thought you might enjoy hearing samples of some of their music.

Gregor Edmunds, shown above, is going to be the "prize" date in a version of "The Dating Game". Single lassies, ages 24-35, are eligible for the Scottish Dating Game. (Be prepared to answer questions!) The lassie who is the winner of that competition will win an escorted dinner date with the 6' 4 1/2" , 31 year old athlete from Scotland. You can read more about that on the TSF website. I also wrote about it previously on my blog.

Festivities get under way on Friday night with the Calling of the Clans and a Ceilidh (party).

Look over the page of activities on the TSF website and you are going to find things for children including a rock climbing wall and a bungee-strap kind of thing. A ren faire type of group will do a sword fighting demonstration, there will be coloring, a dog show, and opportunities to learn more about Scotland and family history.

Clan tents will offer things from fellowship, to help with locating your clan and ancestors, Gaelic, and, of course, there will be plenty of music and a Highland Dance Competition.

Speaking of contests, another opportunity to compete will come in the photography contest.

Saturday and Sunday will be filled with food, fun, and competition.

On Sunday morning, there will be a special kirking (church service).

Some of the food that will be available will include Heilian Coo Burgers from vendors Oz Highland Farms. They raise their own special Highland cattle. You can check out their website at http://www.ozhighlandfarm.com/beef.html .

Caledonian Kitchens is another vendor that will be there. This year, they are adding fish and chips, Scotch eggs, corndogs, Irn Bru, and hotdogs to their other food items that include their own special recipe for haggis and Irish Stew. Check out their website at http://www.caledoniankitchen.com/.

Another vendor will be bringing sweet treats such as their own special toffee. Brown's English Toffee has a website at http://www.brownsenglishtoffee.com/ .

Many will enjoy the largest pub tent in Texas, and all the many other vendors bringing food, refreshment and wares to the festival.

Birds of prey, a medieval Scotland area, Scottish fiddle workshop, Scottish miltary living history encampment, a "bonniest knees " contest, Celtic harp workshop, Scotch ale brewing competition, shortbread contest, Scotch whisky tasting and seminars, and fireworks, and much more can be enjoyed during the festival.

If you think that you may have a bit of Scottish or Celtic blood in you, you will want to look up your clan tent and get involved. Even if you don't have a clan, or know your family history, there are people there who will welcome you and try to help you find your roots.

If you are already into your Celtic heritage, you will want to wear your kilts and sashes, and enter into the spirit of the festival. This is one of the largest Scottish gatherings in the United States and is in its 22nd year.

Some of the entertainers are Alex Beaton, Ed Miller, Margaret Gravitt, Smithfield Faire,Jed Marum, Hugh Morridon, Colin Grant-Adams, Needfire, Jiggernaut, Brian McNeill, Seven Nations, The Killdares, Scottish Rogues, Beyond the Pale, Seamus Stout, Clandestine, and the Quebe Sisters Band. This is not the whole list. You can find that on the website. These are the ones that I have found links for and have in my sidebar under Music.

I'm throwing in a link for Craig Ferguson as well. After all, he was a drummer in a band, and has performed with drums when he has had bands on as guests. I haven't heard that he will be there, but I just found his link on one of the musician's page. He's a funny fellow, and I thought you might enjoy seeing a link to his page. He's certainly Scottish, and now a new citizen of the U.S. I always enjoy his program and maybe you do too.

Hope that you will get out and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity, if you can get to the area.

The weekend actually kicks off on Thursday with a Scottish Invasion at a restaurant. The lads and lassies will gather at a restaurant, many in their Scottish attire, for an outing before the festival starts. This is a very active group!

I'll be there, in spirit. I'll just have to wait for the pictures, all the e-mails from the group, and look at the links in my sidebar. It sounds like a really fun event, and the weather seems like it will cooperate with lots of sunshine.

Ticket information and times can be found on the TSF website.

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Artfest

on Friday

Downtown Bryan, Texas

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Get ready for the 19th World Wide Sketch Crawl . Let me know if you would like to participate!

Saturday June 21 Let's Draw The Brazos Valley!

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Let me know if you see something of interest to you. I do appreciate your comments and your support!

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I just have to mention the passing of Bo Diddley. I wasn't that big a fan until we got to see him here at Wolf Pen Creek Ampitheatre a few years ago. People called him and called him to come out on stage, while the warm up act played on and on. From our vantage point on a little hill overlooking the stage and the creek, we could see Bo Diddley, just leaning on the railing of the balcony behind the stage, feeding the ducks that floated around on the water. Once he started playing, finally, well, that was a blast! I never had an opportunity to go to those kind of concerts when I was young and Bo Diddley and the other musicians of that type were becoming really popular. So, that was really fun, to me. Except that the rest of the family kept wanting to go home, it got so late before Bo came out. We still talk about the time that we got to see Bo Diddley.

I always liked most of that kind of music, but my favorite had been Muddy Waters. Drove my parents crazy with my music. "It will never last," they said of rock and roll, and rhythm and blues. I think that I knew that it wasn't such great music, but it was fun, and it shocked the grown ups! They just about died when we did the Dirty Bop in the living room! And, of course, that made it just that much more fun.

I hated to hear about Bo Diddley. The younger generations aren't going to know what they missed by not being able to hear and see the old stars like Bo Diddley.

Now, I'm the one who says, "This racket will never last!" when I happen to hear the popular sounds of today.

I'm glad that we do have records, video, CDs and DVDs that will preserve those stars of the past and their work.