Even More Reasons to Come to the 75th Glengarry Highland Games
When the Glengarry Highland Games first started in 1948 it was a one day Saturday event that became more successful than its founders ever dreamed. Like all things that flourish, that one day event grew over the years to become two full days on Friday and Saturday of everything Scottish as well as a Golf tournament on Wed and a Tartan Ball on Thursday.
Saturday is still the main day for the Games with highlights like the North American Pipe Band Championships™, the Professional Heavy Events and the famed massed pipe bands, but Friday holds its own with a full slate of events capped by the outstanding Friday night Tattoo.
For this year’s 75th edition, Friday will be a jam-packed day of traditional Games events plus a few exciting highlights that you don’t want to miss.
Scotland’s National Chef Gary MacLean Adds Flavour to the 75th Games
Scotland’s National Chef and the 2016 MasterChef Professional Champion, Gary MacLean, will be dishing out some of his culinary secrets at two appearances on Friday, August 2nd at 11 am and 2 pm. This multi-award winning chef from Glasgow, Scotland will introduce his audience to recipes from treasured family favourites passed down through the ages to innovative new twists on beloved Scottish staples. Chef MacLean has appeared at many of the biggest Scottish festivals and Highland Games at home and across North America sharing his approach to good food for everyone. As Chef MacLean says, “I want to show dishes that people watching feel that they can go home and try them out themselves”. Come and watch the master demonstrate his skills creating some of Scotland’s mouth-watering recipes like Dundee pie, Haggis Potato Pie and Gin and Berry tart and more. With Gary’s flair for flavour and his hands-on approach, you won’t want to miss his sessions. You’ll leave knowing why he’s a MasterChef Champion. The demos are free to attend and included in your daily admission.
The Northern Lights of old Aberdeen? ... No, It's Drone Lights over Maxville
The Friday Night Tattoo on August 2nd will be a brilliant display of music, sound and pageantry with the Barra MacNeils as headliners, Massed Pipes & Drums, Games favourites the MacCulloch Dancers, along with Glengarry’s Hadrian’s Wall, special guests from Scotland Gleadhraich and a salute to the 100th Anniversary of the RCAF with the RCAF Pipes and Drums and capped off with a spectacular fireworks display. Of course, since it’s the Games 75th edition, there has to be even more and there is, with the first-ever drone show at the Games.
The "dazzling, choreographed" drone show by North Star Entertainment, will light up the night sky just before the fireworks display. The performance will feature 100 drones — each of which is capable of displaying "millions of colours," –performing in tightly choreographed formations creating complex geometric shape and images that will dance against the night sky's black backdrop. The show will be conducted under a special flight operations certificate issued by Transport Canada, to ensure safety and compliance.
Neil MacDonell, Tattoo Director excitedly says,
"What a great way to cap-off a stellar musical line-up. The show starts with the lights of the drones rising up into the night sky then like a painter, they magically move weaving images into the darkness, all of this culminates with a spectacular fireworks display ... let's just say after this 15 minute show, our audience will know they were at a celebration!”