Mingling at the meadows: What brings people to the GMHG

BY LILY KINCAID

Each year, MacRae Meadows is flocked with people interested in the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, where people hope to learn more about their family history, meet people with similar interests, explore their culture or simply have a good time.

The people that come to the GMHG may share some interests, but different things draw different people to the Games. Some come for the sports, whether they’re competing or just spectating. Others come for the dance, bagpiping and drumming competitions. Some patrons might come to fulfill their craving for traditional Scottish food and whisky, while others might travel to Grandfather to learn more about Scottish culture in general. Whatever the reason, people of all ages, from different states and even countries, make up the thousands that hang out atop Grandfather Mountain one weekend a year.

The Games have no shortage of interesting characters. While many people dress in casual wear, it’s not uncommon to see hundreds of people – men, women and children – in kilts.

John Fraizer from Wilkesboro was no exception to that commonality this year. 2022 was Fraizer’s sixth year at the Games, and he came with his family. He originally started coming because his aunt bought him his kilt and he wanted to celebrate his heritage.

“We learned about Simon Fraser and all of the history of the Frasers,” he said. “My grandfather’s name was John Frazier. I was named after him.”

Some attendees, like Todd Johnson, strive to use the Games as a chance to educate people on Scottish history. Johnson doesn’t wear a kilt; he wears a full suit of armor.

“What I’m wearing is 13th century Scottish heavy infantry and this is exactly what William Wallace and his men would have gone onto the battlefield that day to fight the English,” he said. For example, Johnson said, “Braveheart” is entertaining, but isn’t historically accurate. He stated that the blue face paint had “gone out of fashion 1,000 years earlier” and kilts wouldn’t be seen on the battlefield until 300 years after Wallace’s time.

2022 was Johnson’s second year at the GMHG, but he’s been doing work with Clan Donald for around 10 years. He lives in Gainesville, Fla., but he plans to continue making the nine-hour drive to Grandfather Mountain each year.

“We had so much fun at the Grandfather Games last year, we decided this was going to be an annual pilgrimage,” he said.

Virginia Zeigler, on the other hand, is something of a GMHG veteran. At 23 years old, she’s been to GMHG every year she’s been alive, excluding the canceled 2020 Games. Her great grandfather started the MacDuffee Clan Society’s presence at the GMHG. She’s from Jacksonville, Fla., originally, but other than a handful of Highland Games in Florida, Grandfather is the only one she’s been to.

“I think it’s just like a very fascinating experience because there’s so many different people and it has such appeal for a lot of different people, whether you’re into genealogy or even just kind of like Renn Fair behavior,” Zeigler said.

It’s the perfect opportunity to dress up, but it’s a great educational and social opportunity, she said.

“I don’t know how many clans there are, but, everybody’s one,” Frazier said. “There’s 200 clans, but we’re all one.”

Grabbing tickets for the Games

BY LILY KINCAID

LINVILLE — While advance general ticket sales ended Wednesday, May 31, it’s not too late to get tickets to the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.

Tickets can be purchased at the office in the days leading up to the Games, or at MacRae Meadows during the event. The GMHG office is located at 4210 Mitchell Avenue, Suite 2 in Linville, across from the post office.

Tickets can be purchased in the office with cash, check, credit card or money order, while ticket sales at MacRae Meadows on the day of the event are cash and credit card only. Patrons who purchased tickets during the advance sale should have received their tickets in the mail a few weeks prior to the Games.

General ticket prices this year are as follows:

• Four-Day Advanced: $75 for adults, $20 for children

• Thursday: $15 for adults, $5 for children

• Friday all day: $25 for adults, $5 for children

• Friday evening only:

$15 for adults, $5 for children

• Saturday all day: $35 for adults, $5 for children

• Saturday evening only: $15 for adults, $5 for children

• Sunday: $20 for adults, $5 for children

• Sunday family passes (up to two adults and two children): $75

Shuttle bus passes have to be purchased per ticket holder for all daily and fourday packages, either upon arrival or ahead of time, for $10. Children five and younger get in free.