| Organization Name: | Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games |
|---|---|
| Organization Website Link: | http://www.fergusscottishfestival.com |
| Project Name: | Fergus Scottish Festival - 80th Anniversary Edition |
| Project Description: | The Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games was founded in 1945 to present an annual celebration of Scottish heritage in the Fergus community (now a part of the Township of Centre Wellington; population 26,049). The community is located in southwestern Ontario in the Guelph/Elmira area. This application is for “Fergus Scottish Festival – 80 Years of Scotland Without the Airfare”, taking place August 8 to 10, 2025 in Fergus, Ontario. Programming includes: (1) Heavy Events: international athletes complete in feats of strength; (2) Highland Dance; a competition for ages 3 - adults with 200+ dancers performing traditional Scottish dances including the sword dance; (3) Pipes & Drums; both competition (solo and bands) and entertainment; (4) Heritage Village- 50+ Scottish clans: a Scottish encampment (they live onsite for the weekend like it's 1729); blacksmithing, sheep shearing, ropemaking, quilting, and lace making demonstrations; (5) McKiddies; a popular area with family friendly programming); (6) featured guests: meet & greets and interactive workshops with featured stars from the hit books/TV series Outlander featuring Charles Vandervaart; (7) music; Scottish artists perform at a Traditional Tattoo ceremony, Highland Pub, and various venues all over the Festival; (8) concession areas; 60+ booths with Scottish foods and merchandise; and (9) Whisky Village: four local distillers provide whisky samples and education. |
| City: | Fergus |
| Region: | Southwestern Ontario |
| Start Date: | 2025-08-08 |
| End Date: | 2025-08-10 |
| Amount Funded: | $25,000.00 |