The New Brunswick Highland Games, the province’s largest Scottish and Celtic cultural festival and competition, is coming back to Fredericton! 

After a hiatus, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the games are set to be the biggest event in Fredericton this summer. 

The NB Highland Games will take place on July 22 to 24, 2022, at Government House in Fredericton. Mark it in your calendars and go “be a scot for a weekend,” as the festival’s slogan suggests. 

We caught up with NB Highland Games Festival president Chris Gallant to chat about the event’s key attractions that Frederictonians of all ages won’t want to miss.

“We’re really excited to be bringing the games back this year and we have some awesome events and entertainment lined up throughout the weekend,” said Chris Gallant.

Piping, Drum and Band Competitions

Ah yes, a sound as unique as Scotland itself, the plob-mhor, the doodlesack, or as we know it today, the bagpipe. A staple of the NB Highland Games Festival are the piping, drumming and massed bands competitions.

A fan favourite is the massed band in which pipes, snares drums, tenor drums and bass drums all perform together as a unit. Bands also compete individually and are judged on musical performance, synchronicity among other criteria, but for spectators, it’s a visual and auditory feast. 

Strap yourself in for some of the best piping and drumming in Canada. 

Heavy Events

Back again are the Scottish Athletics. These competitions feature lads and lasses testing themselves in traditional feats of strength. Some of these heavy events are featured here on the NB Highland Games website.

One spectacle in the heavy events that always pulls a crowd is the caber toss. The caber toss is an event in which competitors throw a large pole called a “caber.” It may look like a telephone pole but is traditionally shaped from a larch tree. A caber stands roughly 16 to 20 feet tall.

Athletes take turns attempting to make the caber flip, end-over-end, falling away from the thrower as straight as possible. This is only one of many different heavy events, all of which are must-sees. 

The caber to be used on the final days of this year’s competition is more than 20 ft tall and is heavier than 150 lbs. It takes a lot of haggis to fuel the muscles that toss a caber of that caliber. 

Highland Dancing 

Traditional Scottish highland dancing competitions are a staple of the NB Highland Games, but this year, the competitions are set to be extra fierce as NBHG is hosting the Maritime Open Premiership and the Atlantic Open Championship in Highland Dance. 

These are two of the region’s premiere highland dance competitions and all spectators are welcome. Competitions run all weekend and are sure to entertain and amaze.

Saturday Night Concert

Every Highland Games features a festival headlining musical act. This year, JUNO Award nominees Beòlach will take the stage on Saturday night.

Beòlach have captivated crowds around the globe with their innovative and exciting arrangements of traditional Cape Breton, Scottish and Irish tunes for fiddle, bagpipes, piano and guitar. This is a must-see performance from this supergroup and is sure to get your boots stomping.

Other highlights

Among other attractions, the games are an all ages event featuring a kids corner. Visitors can also stroll the clan alley, discovering different Scottish kinships, their respective histories and tartans.  

“The NB Highland Games Festival definitely wants to thank our awesome sponsors, committee members, and volunteers. Without everyone’s support we wouldn’t be in such an ideal position to host an awesome come-back festival.”

Weekend passes are for sale now on the NB Highland Games website: https://www.highlandgames.ca/

Looking for a place to hang up your kilt at the end of the night? Special accommodation packages are available at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Fredericton (just steps away from the festival!). Get the details here.

Written by Sean McCullum
Rat Dog Media