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The 156th annual Scottish Highland Gathering and Games was in full swing this Labor Day weekend at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton.
Visitors to the event braved high temperatures to celebrate Scottish and Highland culture, filling the grounds last Saturday and Sunday with traditional Scottish music, dancing, food and clothing. Organized by the Caledonian Club of San Francisco, main events of the fair included marching bands, whiskey tasting, heavyweight sport competitions, Highland dancing, vendor booths and more.
“There’s lots of competitions here at our games, there’ll be individual competitions as well as pipe bands playing together,” Caledonian Club of San Francisco chief Rob Tysinger said. “There’s these things going on most of the day so you get to go around, like any fair, and see what people are doing.”
The fair also featured indoor shops to buy cultural Caledonian items, such as weaponry, books and other accessories. One of the biggest attractions held at the fair, Tysinger said, was the event’s closing ceremony that features 22 marching bands playing together in unison.
Various live musical performances were placed throughout the fairgrounds, providing guests with sounds of bagpipes, rock music and folk songs — both modern and traditional.
Performers and students were able to show off their techniques at the highland dancing stage and competition. In part of the Games’ Living History section, clans dress in customary medieval clothing for live reenactments.
The Scottish Highland Gathering and Games is an annual event, the fair has been held in Pleasanton for almost 30 years.
