Highland Games, Estes Park, Colorado Tartans and Family Trees

Story and photos by Cameron M. Burns

If your ancestry is in any part from the northern portion of the British Isles, and you’re interested in family history, then there’s one festival you should not miss.

Every September, for the past twenty or so years, the town of Estes Park, about 60 miles northwest of Denver, Colorado, has played host to the four-day Longs Peak Scottish/Irish Highland Festival, the largest celebration of Celtic culture, arts, and athletics held in North America. Although there are hundreds of these events across the nation, the Longs Peak Scottish/Irish Highland Festival is special.

First of all, the atmosphere is right. Estes Park sits in a spectacular alpine valley surrounded by rocky crags and high tree-covered peaks and, to the west, lies Rocky Mountain National Park. When storms blow across the valley (usually hurling rain, sleet, or snow---or all three at once) the area feels like the Scottish highlands.

Second, this is serious Celtic culture. On any of the festival’s four days, the finest bagpipe bands can be found competing in one of the world’s most respected piping competitions. The sporting events---tossing hammers, and flipping cabers, for example---are also taken seriously. However, possibly the most important part of the games is the dancing. Young men and women from around the globe compete in traditional Scottish, Irish, and Welsh dances, some of which involve quickly jumping over specially placed swords. The winners of all these events at Estes Park are regarded as masters of Celtic athletics around the world. And the general public loves it; especially since single malt whiskies and expensive Scotch and Irish beers are considered part of the experience.

For amateur geneologists, the highlight of the Estes Park games is “Clan Row”. Every year, dozens of clan clubs from across North America bring whatever family artifacts and documents they can gather, and erect tented booths along a grass alley on the west side of the fairgrounds: Clan Row. Most booths boast huge flags and costs-of-arms; some have detailed written histories telling the story of the clan. All the booths have an endless supply of maps and charts showing where the clans are from and what their tartans look like. As curious passersby wander along, they’re likely to be invited into a booth by the Macgillivrays or the Stewarts or the Hendersons or the McDonalds, and quizzed on their name, their family history, and any ties they might or might not have to that particular clan.

At the end of the event, many members of the highly confused public walk away belonging to a family they never knew existed. (Last year I met a guy named Wolchowski, who belonged to a clan with a “Mac” prefix.)

While much of the Estes Park fairground complex is devoted to Celtic athletics and arts, a good portion is devoted to Celtic trinket selling. Several large circus tents are erected each year and, inside, vendors of Scottish products line up their wares. It is amazing what you can buy at the festival: from swords and weaponry of various types (things you’d never get on a plane, even if you checked them), to CDs and tapes of Celtic music, to videos depicting family histories, and travelogues of Scotland and Ireland.

There are a half dozen or so professional kilt makers from Britain who attend each year with vast quantities of tartan fabric in thousands of patterns, and who---for a hefty fee---will measure you, then sew a full dress kilt to fit. I thought of buying one until I saw the price tag. They average around $800, and if you include the jacket, dress shirt, black brogues, and dress socks, you’re looking at close to $2,000. It’s about then that you realize you do have a use for those old tartan golf pants hanging in the closet.

I thoroughly recommend the Longs Peak Scottish/Irish Highland Festival in Estes Park. You’ll be rewarded with an authentic taste of the highlands, without the expense of a trip to the British Isles; then again, this event will probably whet your appetite for the real thing.

If you go:
The Longs Peak Scottish/Irish Festival takes place the first weekend in September. It is one of Colorado’s most popular events, and hotels are booked up to a year or more in advance. If you go, book early. A few things to remember: one, you’ll be outside all day. Two, September in Colorado can be really cold. Three, September in Estes Park can be really wet. Bring rain gear. warm clothes, and sturdy footwear, as the fairgrounds can get muddy.

Website: www.scotfest.com