The Taste of Scotland Society, Inc. will present the Taste of Scotland Celtic Festival & Highland Games in Franklin June 13-15, Father’s Day weekend.
The Taste of Scotland Society is comprised of individuals who are interested in Scottish history and culture. And while most members have Scottish or other Celtic ancestry, membership is open to all. The Taste of Scotland Society, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation based in Franklin.
For more than two decades, the Society has been producing Burns Night, Tartan Day, and Scottish Heritage Day. The schedule of festival events for The Taste of Scotland Celtic Festival & Highland Games is as follows:
Friday, June 13
Parade and Ceilidh, 6 to 9:30 p.m.– The Ceilidh (kay-lee) will be held this year at the Gazebo area on the corner of Iotla and Main Streets on the square in downtown Franklin.
Those who wish to walk in the parade following the Appalachian Street Andrews Pipes & Drums should meet in the lower parking lot of the Franklin Town Hall on Main Street starting at 5:30 p.m. to line up by family or clan. Parade will start at 6 p.m. and travel through town on Main Street, ending at Iotla Street at the Gazebo area.
Headliner band Tuatha Dea will play at the Gazebo from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Food vendors will be on site. Bring chairs or blankets to sit on.
Saturday June 14
Macon County Fairgrounds, 1436 Georgia Road, Franklin. Three gates at which to purchase tickets. Gates open at 9 a.m. Admission: ages 12 and up: $15; ages 6-11: $5; under age 5: Free
Featuring:
- Axe throwing
- Musician Jam Tent: guitars, ukeleles, fiddles, bodhran, dulcimers, tambourines, spoons, and wind instruments
- Honored Clan 2025: Hay
- Tartan Searches tent – Stop by and give your family information; you might have a clan. Children are encouraged to see what a clan is and put their tag on a boy or girl figure.
- Craft vendors in Building D at gateScottish and American food vendors will be offering hot food options.
- Two ice cream vendors plus Kona Ice.
Stage Schedule
9:30 a.m. – Inspire Dance
10 a.m. – Dulcimer Ensemble
10:30 a.m.– Jacobites by Name
11:30 a.m. – Parade led by Jamestown Pipes and Drums and Welcome Ceremony
12 p.m. – Tuatha Dea
2 p.m. – Finn McGill
2:30 p.m. – Jacobites by Name
3 p.m. – Tuatha Dea
4 p.m. – Finn McGill
Field Schedule
Southern Highland Games Athletics – Varying team athletic events in tradition of Highland Games from Scotland
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Stone Lifting Trials
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Breacan Clan demonstrations
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Jam Tent with Marie Dunkle & Friends
10 a.m. – Sheep-herding Demonstration
1 p.m. – Scottish Country Dance Instruction with Dan Lawton and Bri Callahan
1 p.m. – Sheep-herding Demonstration
1:30 p.m. – Jam Tent continues with Mountain Mist Dulcimers
2 p.m. – Jamestown Pipe and Drums Parade
2:15 p.m. Cherokee storyteller Jessa Sue Hester
Sunday, June 15
Kirkin’ of the Tartan at the First Presbyeterian Church at 10 a.m. A luncheon in Tartan Hall will follow. The church is located at 26 Church Street in downtown Franklin.
For more information, visit tasteofscotland.org or call (828)508-9485.