The Glengarry Highland Games are 70 years old this year! Over 260 highland dancers will attend from as far away as the Maritimes, Whitehorse and Scotland. All events report good numbers with records waiting to be broken. The Women’s heavyweights will gather lots of interest as two record holding athletes go head to head. Last week, Susie Lajoie (who throws in the Pro Women) set a new Canadian Record in the sheaf toss in Enumclaw, Washington at the Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games and Clan Gathering. She threw 28 & 39, which beat the record that Heather Boundy set last year in Glengarry of 27 & 39. Both women are throwing on Friday in Maxville. Is there a new record in the making?

Glengarry History on Display

This year the Games extended an invitation to historic groups in Glengarry to join them in a celebration of Glengarry’s history. Fifteen groups will take part in a Heritage Village where they will showcase why this county calls itself Ontario’s Celtic Heartland.

Four military regiments will be encamped near the Village sharing stories about life on the lines during the late 18 th and early 19 th centuries. Sir John A. MacDonald will welcome visitors to the Village, and a variety of local historians will share stories on Glengarry’s history. A special treat will be a waulking demonstration of fulling “freshly” loomed cloth while singing traditional Gaelic songs.

The Battle of the Clans

On Friday evening at 5:30 pm on the infield as the crowd gathers for the Tattoo and Concert, the Battle of the Glengarry Clans will offer an exciting competition as hard fought as Saturday’s Highland Regiments Tug of War Challenge. Four teams will take to the field to settle who is the best team in Glengarry. North Glengarry, South Glengarry and the Sons of Glengarry welcome a new team, Glengarry Outhouses, to the field and the competition.

The North Glengarry team is organized by Dave McSauve and sponsored by The North Glengarry Restaurant. The South Glengarry team is organized by Jason MacCuaig, coached by Brian Hope and sponsored by Jack’s Pub in Williamstown. The Sons of Glengarry is organized and coached by Troy Lapierre and is sponsored by SommerGlen Farms from Williamstown and the Glengarry Outhouses is organized, coached and sponsored by Jimmy vanDeberg.

To date the South Glengarry team has been the most successful in this battle, but the challenge is definitely on this year. Make sure you are there to support your county and your team.

For Summer Entertainment, It’s All At the Games

The Games offers something for everyone. The Wee Bairns area will entertain the very young while other young people can try out the Junior Heavyweights and the Track and Field. There is Scottish shopping galore with haggis and everything tartan; Celtic Entertainment starts Friday at 11 am with the Harp Workshop and continues with bands, dancing and fiddling until the last dancer leaves on Saturday night. For the more energetic, don’t forget the Kilt Run on Saturday.

The site is fully accessible and the parking is free. Admission is $20 per day (and children under 12 are free).