The Community
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Press 115 Years of Telling YOUR Story
Volume 116 Issue116 07 Issue 08 Volume
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Record golden Yardbreaking Waste Bins weekend for area swimmer being misused Pages 6 & 7 P3
Wednesday, August 16, 2023 s Wednesday, August 23, 2023
5th annual Gathering of the Clans Highland Festival a massive success The fifth Annual Gathering of The Clans Highland Festival was booming with excitement as visitors took to the grounds to check out the wide variety of events, vendors, food trucks, and demonstrations held on the grounds at the Sedgewick Wild Rose Co-op Recreation Centre on Saturday, Aug. 19. Even though the day was a ‘wee’ bit chilly, the grounds had a steady flow of visitors from the moment the gates were open to the closing of the Ceilidh at the end of the night.
Ally Anderson Staff Reporter
The fifth annual Gathering of the Clans Highland Festival took over the grounds at the Sedgewick Wild Rose Co-op Recreation Centre on Saturday, Aug. 19. From the moment the gates were open, the grounds were filled with visitors eager to take in the wide array of events, vendors, food trucks, and demonstrations scheduled for the day. The opening ceremonies were piped in by each of the three bands present that day, the Battle River Pipes and Drums, the Innisfail Legion Pipe Band, and the Alberta Firefighters Pipe Band. Speeches were introduced by Flagstaff Scottish Club member Dan Fee, with MLA Jackie Lovely, Sedgewick Mayor Stephen Levy, and the Flagstaff Scottish Club Chieftan David Samm each welcoming those in attendance to the event. On the grounds were many new activities to watch, or for those brave enough, to try as well. The Heavy Events started off the day with the amateurs trying their hand at some traditional Scottish games. Some
competitors tried their skills out for the first time this year, and were cheered on eagerly by the crowd and their fellow competitors. Once the amateurs were finished up, the professionals jumped into the arena to really show off some feats of strength. The vendors kept the market area busy, as visitors could peruse the 32 tables of wares, or take a tasty sip of some Albertan made liquor at any of the 11 craft liquor tables. There were eight food trucks on hand to feed the hungry guests with a wide variety of culinary experiences to try. New this year were many native scottish creatures, nicknamed the Highland Beasties. From the larger creatures like Clydesdale horses, Highland Cattle, Shorthorn Cattle, to the smaller with the Cairn Terriers, Scottish Terriers, and Shetland Sheepdogs on display. There were also demonstrations from Pawsome Connection Dog Training and Behaviour with their Border Collies herding geese through a small obstacle course, and some good laughs were had as the geese slipped their way down the slide with a little lack of
grace. Camrose Animal Alliance Rescue Society, Camrose and Area Animal Shelter, and Flagstaff County’s Canine Luv Animal Shelter were all on hand with some adorable kittens and puppies to play with, each up for adoption. The kids zone had plenty of fun activities to keep the little ones occupied, from inflatables, money sand pit, mini golf course, the Kilted Stilt Walker, as well as the rare Kerrbrandosaurus stomping around the grounds. Pipes could be heard throughout the day all over the grounds, as well as seeing some Scottish Dancers, musical guests the Ratté String Quartet, Vivian Grinde and Leanne Ball, Erick McCracken, and Keri Zwicker with Nathan McCavana. The event ended with a Ceilidh, and the River Jacks made sure everyone was dancing up a storm well into the night. The Gathering of the Clans Highland Festival was a huge success and the organizers from the Flagstaff Scottish Club are already in the works to make the sixth annual festival bigger and better.
This wee scottsman took on the Mini Golf Course in the Kids Zone, which is always a huge hit for both the young and the old.