Pint of Irish
Festivals
Part of the mission of Pint of Irish is to support other organizations and associations that promote interest and participation in Celtic culture, music, and dance. These Celtic Festivals are held yearly in California by groups with this same mission.
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March
County Ventura St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Always held on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) at 10:00 a.m.
Main Street starting at Lincoln Drive and continuing to Fir Street.
Midtown Ventura, CA
www.venturastpatricksdayparade.com
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April
Annual Kern County Scottish Gathering & Games
Kern County Fairgrounds
1142 South P St.
Bakersfield, CA
Come on out and Get Yer Plaid On! This event gets bigger and better every year! This is a day of great fun, a day of tradition. A day that had something for everyone, Scottish or not. If you've never experienced the Games, come and see what brings people back year after year. It's a fun packed day that is filled with things to do: Scottish heavy athletics, genealogy, clans and family history, live music on multiple stages, sheepdog herding demos, dance shows, a large area just for children, a petting zoo and a multitude of really great food and merchandise vendors.
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May
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Scottish Fest - Scottish Highland Games
Orange County Fair & Event Center
88 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, CA
Scottish Fest is part of the United Scottish Society, a 501c(3) non-profit corporation. It is the oldest and largest festival of its kind in the Southern California area. The festival occurs annually on Memorial Day Weekend at the Orange County Fair and Event Center (OCFEC) located in Costa Mesa, California.
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June
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Annual San Diego Scottish Highland Games & Gathering of the Clans
Brengle Terrace Park
1200 Vale Terrace Dr.
Vista, CA
Scottish Highland Games on Facebook
Events at the San Diego Scottish Highland Games & Gathering of Clans include Educational Seminars, Whiskey Tasting, Genealogy Seminars, Story Telling, Kid's Games, Bagpiping & Drumming Competitions, Highland Dancing, Drum Major Workshop and Inspection, Heavy Athletics (Braemar Stone Throw, Hammer Throw, Caber Toss), Sheep Dog Trials, Clan Meetings, and Scottish Country Dance Demonstrations.
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September
Annual Pleasanton Scottish Highland Gathering and Games
Alameda County Fairgrounds
4501 Pleasanton Avenue
Pleasanton, CA
The Games feature Heavy Events Championships, the US Drum Major Championships, the Western U.S. Open Highland Dancing Championships and various grades of Pipe Band Competitions. Other competitive events include the Kilted Mile Race and Soccer, Shinty and Rugby competitions. Visitors to the Games can enjoy Scottish Country Dancers, the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers and other traditional entertainment on the Celtic Heritage stages. Other events include Birds of Prey and Archery exhibitions, historical re-enactments, historic British cars and motorcycles, sheep dog trials, the Clan Glen and Children’s Glen, Clydesdale horses and Highland cattle. In addition, there is more entertainment in the Irish Pavilion, Traditional and Celtic Rock Bands on the Entertainment Stages and whiskey tasting and master classes with ‘Whiskey Live’. Finally, each day, the Games Grandstand Show features the ceremony, competition and entertainment of the Games including the hugely impressive March of the Massed Bands with over 600 pipers and drummers.
October
Seaside Highland Games
Seaside Park, Ventura Fairgrounds
10 W. Harbor Blvd.
Ventura, CA 93001
(805) 648-3376
Events at the Seaside Highland Games include Massed Pipebands, Scottish Fiddling Competition, Scottish Entertainers, Clan Tents, Children's Glen, British Food, Highland Re-enactments, Dancing, and Dart Competition. Join us for a Celtic music session at the Pint of Irish booth!!
