Annual Highland Games celebrate all things Scottish

Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun

Al Stagner, of Greeley, Colo., throws a 16-pound hammer 94 feet in the hammer-throw competition Saturday during the Las Vegas Celtic Society’s 2009 Highland Games at Floyd Lamb Park.

By Jeremy Twitchell (contact)

Saturday, April 18, 2009 | 5:54 p.m.

The Las Vegas Celtic Society began its annual celebration of all things Scottish Saturday morning at Floyd Lamb State Park, where the Fifth Annual Highland Games kicked off.

Organizers were expecting as many as 8,000 attendees during the games, which continue Sunday.

In keeping with the tradition of Scotland’s Highland Games, the local installment creates a festive atmosphere around the competition in order to offer something for everybody.

“We’re really, really happy that we can do this for the community,” said Betty Parker, who handled many of the logistical arrangements for the games. “It’s a celebration of culture.”

Mayor Oscar Goodman helped officially open the games, and Councilman Steve Ross spent a few hours roaming the festivities in the Ross family tartan (kilt).

“This is a great opportunity for families to get together from all heritages, all nations, and enjoy a good cultural event,” Ross said. “… This is what this park is for and I’m grateful that the city is able to provide this kind of facility for this kind of event.”

Las Vegas Celtic Society President Guy Parker said the reasons this event has thrived in its five years are its dedicated volunteers, help from the city and its diverse offerings.

A quick pass of the games validates the diversity of those offerings.

Walk past a clan booth in the displays area, and a proud clan member of Scottish descent will happily bend your ear with stories about his people.

Tom Lambie, a member of the Lamont Clan, said Scottish festivals allow clans the chance find people who don’t even know they descend from the clan — through literal descent or from a family that has been brought into the clan by sept (adoption) — and bring them back into the fold.

“The object of any clan is to find the people that associate with it, so they can learn their heritage, get the word out and keep the clan going,” he said.

Lambie said he had already found a few people who he helped discover their tie to the Lamont Clan. But whether they descend from the clan or not, he’s happy to dispense a quick lesson in Scottish history.

Today’s lesson: be wary of the Campbell Clan down the way, because their ancestors once hosted a summit of several clans and then slit everyone’s throat in the middle of the night.

If you’d like the lighter side of Scottish history, you can watch a bagpipe competition and a knowledgeable observer will explain the intricate ins and outs of a piping circle, or you can learn about the proper form of Scottish dance from true professionals.

If that’s not your thing, you can watch the games themselves, which are at once primitive and impressive as professionals and amateurs line up to hurl enormous cabers (logs) end over end or toss a 56-pound weight over a bar nearly two stories high.

And in the unlikely event that any of those events fail to excite, there’s always plenty of whiskey, beer and ale available.

Festival-goers ranged from the curious to the hardcore Scottish descendants, who came decked out in tartans and, in some cases, armed with Scottish swords and knives.

Al Atkisson came to the festival with the $1,500 replica of a sword in the Edinburgh Museum in Scotland. When asked about it, he proudly removed it from its sheath and declared that it was worth every penny.

His wife, Dianna Atkisson, said the festival is about connecting with people that have a shared history.

“It’s nice to be able to get together with other people that have common interests,” she said.