ATHENA — Does the sound of bagpipes stir your blood?

A Scottish heritage festival has been held every summer in Athena since 1899.

The 2024 event is Saturday, July 13, at Athena City Park on Third Street. It is a tribute to the famous Scottish Highland Games and a celebration of the sights, sounds and traditions of Scotland.

Admission is free in the relaxed, family-friendly environment with a range of activities tailored to engage and educate people of all ages. So, gather your clan and enjoy an unforgettable experience.

“We celebrate our Scottish culture with athletic games, music, dance and other traditional events. Many local descendants of the early Scottish settlers join with us to keep our ancestors’ spirit alive and thriving,” proclaims the mission statement.

Feel the thrill as the pipes call to you. Be amazed as athletes “toss” a caber. Tap your feet as you watch the nimble Highland dancers.

Visit the various food, drink and merchandise vendors to sample delicious fare and find unexpected treasures.

Among the six athletic competitions are the stone throw (20- to 26-pound rock), the caber toss (throwing a 16-foot-long log end-over-end), and throwing a 56-pound weight up and over a horizontal bar using one hand.

Scottish clan representatives will help you discover your Scottish heritage.

“It’s amazing,” said Sue Friese, who was the driving force behind the event for nearly 30 years. “Professionals and people who have never competed in Scottish games before throw right next to each other, and they all have a great time.”

Friese passed the baton to Nick Seltmann of Clan Morrison descent and now president of the Athena Caledonian Games Association.

Schedule

This year’s festival starts at 8:45 a.m. with the Caledonian Kids Parade, then the schedule continues:

9 a.m.: Main Street Parade

10 a.m.: Opening Ceremony; vendors and clan tents open

10:10 a.m.: Sheepdog demonstration

10:30 a.m.: Highland Dance; Skweez the Weezle, music storyteller; kids games (Nessie’s Nook)

11:20 a.m.: Highland Dancing

11:30 a.m.: Sheepdog demonstration

Noon: Parade winners announced; athletic competition begins; sheepdog demonstration

12:30 p.m.: Highland dance; Skweez the Weezle

1:30 p.m.: Family games

2 p.m.: Bonniest Knees Contest

2:30 p.m.: Meet the Music presentation

3 p.m.: Highland dancing; Skweez the Weezle

4 p.m.: Candle lighting ceremony

4:30 p.m.: Farewell (Pipes & Drums)

5 p.m.: Vendors and clan tents close

History

During the mid-1800s, thousands of Scottish families emigrated to Canada and America. Hearing stories of the rich farmland available in the Pacific Northwest, many headed west.

In the 1880s and 1890s, numerous Scottish families began settling farms in the Northeast Oregon region. They organized the Umatilla County Caledonian Society to preserve and promote Scottish culture in the region.

The first Caledonian Picnic was planned for June 30-July 1, 1898, but the weekend was canceled by rain. The weather cooperated in 1899 and the event was recognized as the Athena Caledonian Picnic and Games’ inaugural year.

In 2023, the association published “Tell It To Me Again: Sharing Athena’s Scottish Heritage.” Copies of the book were gifted to Umatilla County libraries, and it was featured in a talk at Fort Walla Walla Museum in January 2024. The book available on Amazon.

Information

For more information about the games, or to register to compete in an event, search kjdurfee.wixsite.com/athenascottishgames. For questions, email athenacaledoniangames@gmail.com or text 541-969-7217.