Hawaiian Scottish Festival & Highland Games slated for this weekend on Oahu
The Hawaiian Scottish Association will hold its 31st annual Hawaiian Scottish Festival & Highland Games this weekend on Oahu.
Festivities will get under way at 9 a.m. tomorrow in Kapiolani Park area, edging Waikiki. The highland games will feature men dressed in traditional kilts competing in events such as “Throwing the Hammer,” “Tossing the Caber,” and ”Putting the Stone.” Women will compete in events, too. Winners will be recognized at the festival’s closing ceremony, at 4 p.m. on Sun. April 1.
According to the Hawaiian Scottish Association, the games had their beginnings when kings and chiefs of Scotland used them to select the best men available for their retinue and as men-at-arms. “Crude forms of the athletic events you will see were developed to test the contestants for strength, stamina, accuracy and agility.” For more information about the athletic events, click here.
The festival will also feature celtic music, with groups ranging from Celtic Pipes & Drums of Hawaii to the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific Band. Among the highland dance groups are Irish Dance of Hawaii and the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. There will also be demonstrations of swordplay, weaving, and fencing. In addition, vendors will sell celtic clothing, jewelry, musical instruments, housewares, and Scottish fare, such as haggis.
For more information about the annual Hawaiian Scottish Festival & Highland Games, click here.
