Highland Games to kick off

Thursday night; traditional, modern

Celtic music takes place

throughout gathering

The 54th annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of Scottish Clans bring music and entertainment to thousands July 9-12.

Traditional and modern Celtic music flood the meadows at dusk and continue into the night.

Visitors are welcomed to spread out a blanket and experience the Celtic performances in the shadows of Grandfather Mountain.

Each night is unique and features different aspects of Scottish culture.

The celebration kicks off with Thursday night’s opening ceremonies.

Spectators are invited to an informal picnic beginning at 4:30 p.m. in MacRae Meadows.

During the early evening there are bagpipe band performances, as well as sheep herding demonstrations by Scottish border collies.

As night falls over the meadows, the leaders of 92 sponsoring clans proudly carry their torches to let it be known that their family line is represented at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.

The torchlight ceremony is held to invoke the “Spirit of the Clans” upon the gathering. The primitive ceremony hearkens back to the days when Celts banned together on the fields of battle to defend the Highlands from invaders.

Friday night’s festivities begin with a concert and sing-along called a Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) that celebrates Scottish folk music, dance and folklore.

The Ceilidh begins at 8 p.m. and runs until 10 p.m. in the Hayes Auditorium at Lees-McRae College on both Friday and Saturday nights. Admission for adults is $10 and admission for children 12 and younger is $5.

Tickets are sold at the door on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Scottish Country Dance Gala is also held Friday night from 8 to midnight at Lees-McRae Williams Gymnasium.

This event features a colorful display of the old-time Scottish dances passed down through generations.

Admission for participants and those who wish to take lessons is $20. Admission for spectators is $3.

The Celtic Jam held in MacRae Meadows Friday night features performances that shed light on the connections between the traditional music of the British Isles and the bluegrass music of the Southern Appalachians.

Some of the traditional Celtic performers at the jam are folksinger Ed Miller and the Blessed Blend, a duo that blends Native American and Celtic music, to create a harmony of tribal sounds from two cultures.

Historian and patriotic Scot, David Ross, shares his passion for Scottish history through storytelling at this year’s Celtic Jam.

Clandestine, well-loved by Grandfather Mountain Highland Games audiences when they appeared here in the past, returns with their blend of Texas Celtic Folk.

A band new to the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games is Teribus, a bagpipe and drum trio playing Celtic and tribal music influenced by musical traditions from around the world.

Teribus is led by Kevin Hartnell, Richard Kean, and EJ Jones, and promises to bring “high energy and a spirit of fun” to the meadows.

Coyote Run from Williamsburg, Va., has been described as having “the take no prisoners approach to Celtic music.”

This will be the fourth Grandfather Games for the group that performs new music inspired by the rich heritages of Celtic, Appalachian, folk and maritime traditions.

Barleyjuice, a Philadelphia band well known in the meadows for having unrelenting energy and musical expertise, again returns to Grandfather Mountain Highland Games to entertain and amaze guests.

Scythian, a classically trained group of musicians who enjoys the freedom and loose spirit of Celtic music, joins the Celtic Jam. The band is known for its ability to get the crowd on their feet and ensure a quality performance. The band has been described to "play Celtic music for people who hate Celtic music, but love rock."

Sporting medieval armor, tattoos and animal skins, the Pictish drumming and energetic piping of Albannach encourages audiences to “Keep it Tribal.”

The members of Albannach were all born and bred in Scotland and enjoy sharing their intriguing culture, history and heritage with onlookers by means of music.

Saturday’s night-life offers a variety of diversions from relaxed to radical beginning with a Piping Concert by students from the North American School of Piping from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center in Boone. Tickets are available at the door for $10 with children under 5 admitted free.

Next, Scotland’s premier entertainer, Alex Beaton, takes the stage at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center at 8:30 p.m. Tickets for Alex Beaton and friends are $10 per person.

The Celtic Rock Concert at MacRae Meadows is sure to get the blood pumping and serve up a memorable evening of Celtic rock.

The concert showcases high energy performances by Clandestine, Coyote Run, Teribus, Barleyjuice, Scythian and Albannach.

Tickets to the Celtic Rock Concert are $15 for adults and $5 for children, with free parking available on a first come basis.

For more information, phone (828) 733-1333 or visit online www.gmhg.org.