Lis Patterson, of Seattle, launches an 8-pound stone during the open stone competition on July 8, 2023, at the annual Athena Caledonian Games. (Yasser Marte/East Oregonian, File)

ATHENA — The Scottish Highlands will come alive in Athena yet again for the annual Caledonian Games.

The festival is Saturday, July 12, at Athena City Park. It celebrates Scottish culture and traditions and was first established in 1899. Despite celebrating 126 years this year, the event has only occurred annually since 1976, except for 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic forced its cancellation.

According to Kayla Durfee, secretary-treasurer of the Athena Caledonian Games Association, the festival “has been Athena’s premiere community festival” since its inception in 1899 and revival in 1976.

Durfee said one of her favorite parts is helping people connect to Scottish roots they didn’t know they had.

“Even those who have believed all their lives that they don’t have Scottish ancestry can be surprised, as was the case with one member of our group who discovered at age 77 that not only does she have Scottish ancestors, she descends from the Scottish kings,” Durfee said. “For fun, we’ve designated her the ‘Queen of Caledonian.’”

The main events

This year, the event will last most of the day on Saturday from 8:45 a.m. until 5 p.m. Simultaneously, the annual Caledonian Weekend Vehicle Show will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Main Street, right after the festival’s parade finishes. Registration is $20 for the first vehicle and $10 for each additional entry. For more information and a link to register, search Facebook via bit.ly/402OE3g.

The event is geared toward people of all ages. There is a kids’ parade at 8:45 a.m. and the Main Street Parade at 9 a.m., followed by dance and athletic competitions. Vendors will sell food, crafts and other items. Attendance is free, and all are welcome, including those without Scottish heritage.

“Many people have told us that our family-friendly festival is one of their favorite summer destinations,” Durfee said.

The festival’s opening ceremony will start at 10 a.m.

Throughout the day, four traditional Scottish dances will take place. Meanwhile, sheepdogs will demonstrate their herding skills three times — 10:10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and noon — and various local musicians will play Celtic music, including Skweez the Weezle and Three Rivers Dulcimer Society, both from Tri-Cities.

Durfee said she’s excited to hear the music.

“I am a musician, so the tunes of Scotland are of special interest to me,” she said. “While the sound of the bagpipes is quite overwhelming at close quarters — the pipes were used to terrify enemies, after all — I find the musical structure and history of the tunes quite interesting.”

The Dulcimer Society will perform at 10:10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and noon, while Skweez the Weezle will perform at 10:30 a.m., 1:45 p.m. and 3 p.m.

A band from Idaho, the Boise Highlanders, features bagpipes and dancers and will perform at 12:30 p.m., 30 minutes after the athletic competitions begin.

Scottish athletic games mostly consist of shows of strength, such as throwing stones and kettlebells or tossing a sheaf of straw with a pitchfork. With enough competitors, the challenges may last into the evening.

Despite the challenges with rebuilding the Caledonian Games after COVID, competing events that draw away vendors and participants, members of the association aging out, and difficulty funding the event due to financial hardship of sponsors and people donating, Durfee is looking forward to this year’s festival.

“The sounds, colors and excitement of the Caledonian Games has been a constant in my life for over 20 years,” she said. “The smiles and greetings of people I meet from year to year are worth the effort.”

For more information, including a full schedule, search Wixsite via bit.ly/3IpAy5O. For questions, text 541-969-7217.