Experience Scotland at the Denver Polo Club, August 5-6, 2023!

Visit the spirit of Scotland in Colorado’s own backyard at this special event. The St. Andrew Society of Colorado is proud to announce the 59th Annual Colorado Scottish Festival will be held at its new location at the Denver Polo Club, August 5-6, 2023. Coupled with the warm hospitality and sophistication of the Denver Polo Club, this event provides an excellent opportunity to explore several interesting aspects of Scottish culture, traditions and history, while nourishing the community with a variety of engaging experiences.

The festival is a family-oriented, family-friendly event, and although the flavor is Scottish, there’s something for all cultures and every age group. We invite you to get away from the everyday and experience our new home at this high-class oasis, just 30 minutes from downtown Denver. The Denver Polo Club is known for its beautiful grounds on 30 acres, friendly atmosphere and cordial members who help make this the best international club in the area. The club has created many traditions for players and fans alike, and now they will share in helping to foster fond memories for a new summer tradition – hosting the Colorado Scottish Festival.

For the best experience, join the festival’s Thistle Club and get an exclusive VIP Package to enjoy during the entire weekend. The Thistle Club provides a friendly atmosphere featuring Scottish music in the background, complimentary Scottish food and adult beverages, including single malt whisky. Members are treated to a special welcome reception on Saturday morning, private access to a late afternoon reception featuring a performance by our own Rocky Mountain Highland Dancers and close-in, private seating at the outdoor concert Saturday night with the exciting local Celtic rock group, Angus Mohr. In addition, members will receive a commemorative gift, a Tartan Badge, free whisky tastings and a great place to relax and enjoy a pleasurable respite during the festival. Greasaibh oirbh (hurry up), Thistle Club tickets are limited – when they’re gone, they’re gone!

Throughout the weekend, enjoy Scottish athletics, piping and drumming band contests, solo bagpipe and dance competitions/performances, whisky tastings, clans/genealogy, living history, re-enactments, Scottish and Irish music, Celtic merchandise, beer and food vendors, children’s activities, dogs, cars and more. Also, our new location provides an opportunity for the festival to include novel, additional events such as polo and rugby matches. As a special treat, you’ll be able to watch one of the most coveted tournaments in the Denver area, The United States Polo Association Governor’s Cup, where teams compete with passion, grit and intensity. More information will become available on the club’s website as the date draws nearer (denverpoloclub.com).

And with room to grow, the Colorado Scottish Festival hopes to offer even more events and attractions for their 60th anniversary celebration in August of 2024.

The festival’s Scottish Games allow spectators to watch professional and amateur athletes, both women and men, compete for top honors in unique sporting events. Many of the games involve throwing and lifting; collectively known as heavy events, they include the caber toss, weight for height and hammer throw. A plethora of pipers will transport you to Scotland while you take in the sight of dancers flinging and jigging to the enjoyment of everyone. Besides traditional Scottish Highland dance competitions, visitors can observe demonstrations of traditional Irish Step Dancing by the Heritage Irish Stepdancers. After the Parade of Clans, stop by one of the many Clan Tents, where you’ll find plaid-clad docents eager to share their respective history. They will help attendees piece together the twigs and branches of a family tree, trace lineages back to ancient Scottish roots and locate your clan’s unique tartan.

There will be vendors selling all manner of Scottish and Celtic merchandise and crafts. In addition to food vendors, you’ll have an opportunity to savor the famous Scottish dish of haggis, grab yourself a “bellywasher” at the beer tent, or for a bit of great craic, sample a wee dram at one of our Whisky Tastings. Yes, “whisky” is how the Scots spell it, and it’s single-malt Scotch. Purchase your tickets in advance online to reserve your spot for our always-popular whisky tastings, as there is limited availability. The tasting is more of a classroom-like setting where participants sit for about an hour while our whisky concierge and tasting leader (or is that, “litre”?), Buz Dabkowski, will instruct you how to taste, judge flavor profiles, identify aromas and gain a better understanding of “the water of life”. Educate your mind and your palate while having fun. The instructions are fairly simple: “See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip, Savor, Repeat”. Our long-time partner and sponsor for the tastings is Edrington Brands, an international spirits company. Edrington’s acclaimed banner of brands include Highland Park, Macallan, Glenrothes Scotch and American Noble Oak Rye.

Observe Highland life from the time of William Wallace through the Jacobite uprising in 1745 through the village setting of the Renaissance Scots Living History Association. The RenScots have been delighting Celtic festival guests with their re-enactments for 23 years. Besides sharing Scottish history, you’ll find demonstrations on heritage crafts such as weaving, leather working, basketmaking, blacksmithing, traditional culinary dishes and traditional Celtic folk music. And for a little more excitement, check out the fighting element of the RenScots, the Wolves of Dunvegan, a skilled display of ancient combat and swordsmanship. They’ll educate the public on their arsenal of broadswords, claymores and other assorted, historic weaponry (renscots.org).

Events of the first day will wrap up with a Highland Rock & Roll concert Saturday night featuring Colorado’s own, Angus Mohr (7-9 p.m., included with admission). Angus Mohr revitalizes traditional Celtic music’s brogue with an American blues accent while rejuvenating rock ’n roll’s broad spectrum with bagpipes and pennywhistles. But their set list is also peppered with songs penned by Dylan, Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash and the Ramones. Angus Mohr crosses musical boundaries to pull in a diverse audience where fans steeped in blue collar classic rock, hippies old and young, and grown-up metal heads dance to timeless music about timeless ideas (www.angusmohr.com). Besides the concert, there will be plenty of traditional Scottish and Irish folk music throughout the weekend provided by local musicians such as Avourneen, Nerea the Fiddler, Wolf Loescher, Skean Dubh, Down the Back Lane, Gobs O’Phun and more.

Other events include a Bonnie Knees Contest (Saturday), the Parade of British Dogs (10am both days), and of course, there’s plenty of children’s activities, field events and historical information to keep your wee bairns excited and engaged. And dinnae forget to haste ye back on Sunday morning for the Kirkin’ of the Tartan and Blessing of the Dogs. Afterwards, car enthusiasts can get revved up by our display of British cars on Sunday as well.

Tickets are available at the gate or through the website (www.scottishgames.org) and parking is available at a nominal fee. Join the Colorado Scottish Festival for a fun-filled weekend and a bonnie good time for the entire family!

We can use your help. As a non-profit organization, volunteers are crucial to the success of the Festival. Without this wonderful group of people, it just wouldn’t happen. If you would like to volunteer your time on the committee or at the Festival, let us know your interests and we’ll find the best fit for you. Please visit our website and click on the “Volunteer” button, or email [email protected]

SPONSORS: Denver Polo Club, Renaissance Scots, Edrington Brands, Scottish Kings Gin, Belhaven Scotch Ale, SCFD, Men in Kilts and Renewal by Anderson, with more to be announced as the festival draws nearer.

FESTIVAL DATES & TIMES: August 5-6, 2023; 9 am to 9 pm, Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm, Sunday

LOCATION: Denver Polo Club, 6359 Airport Road, Sedalia, CO 80135

ADMISSION FEES AND PARKING:
For information regarding ticket costs, parking, or to order advance tickets online, please visit www.scottishgames.org