The Saskatchewan Highland Gathering and Celtic Festival is a two-day event that brings a little bit of Scotland to Regina’s Victoria Park.
“This is the one big Highland event in Saskatchewan. The biggest event is drawing dances from five different provinces and bands from three different provinces,” organizer Iain MacDonald said.
This is also a chance for Scottish heavy athletes to compete in traditional games for the Scottish Heavy Athletics Tournament.
READ MORE: The Saskatchewan Highland Gathering and Celtic Festival draws out plenty of culture
“The stone put and the hammer throw — that is what you see in the Olympics — that’s where they started, was in Scotland, and everything else is based around the British stone system — 14 pounds being a stone… and The caber toss, nobody knows where that one started. I think it started with, ‘Hold my beer and watch this,” said competitor Jason Johnston.
For Ezra Felstrone-Stenka, playing the bagpipes is a special past-time. Musical talent runs deep in his family.
His grandfather played bagpipes for 60 years, and before passing away, he taught his grandson a trick or two.
The 16-year-old is in the Conservatory for Performing Arts Pipe Band, which is competing against other pipers and drummers in the Highland Celtic Festival.
“He’s really been a big part of my life and a really big role model. He’s the one who inspired me to take up the bagpipes in the first place,” Felstrone-Stenka said of his grandfather.
“I think he would be very proud.”
READ MORE: PHOTO GALLERY: Saskatchewan Highland Gathering
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