By Heather Madsen
If you’re looking for a celtic holiday, look no further than Moab, Utah. You don’t need a plane or a passport, just a love for competition and fellowship. Scots on the Rocks is an annual festival that celebrates everything it can about Scottish, Irish, English, and Welsh cultures. The festival runs from October 14-16 and you don’t want to miss a second of it!
Start your experience off with delicious food–there will be authentic eateries and drinks available around the festival. Eat your fill and then snack on the leftovers as you wander around the rest of the festival and feast on all the entertainment.
Visit the heritage and cultural booths, or the clan tents where you can learn about the history of the different cultures, and the unique and specific traditions each family upholds. The International Clan MacFarlane Society will also be hosting a Clan MacFarlane Hospitality Tent. They’re dedicated to finding modern descendants of shared ancestry. If you’re interested in learning more about your own Scottish ancestry or those traditions, stop by their tent and maybe they can help answer your questions.
There will also be live music and traditional dances being performed all festival long, including bagpipe and drumming competitions. Speaking of competitions, one of the biggest draws of the Scots on the Rocks festival is the Highland Games. People come from all over to compete in traditional feats of strength and stamina. The events include a caber toss, stone put, Scottish hammer throw, sheaf toss, and more. Competitors have to be skilled in strength, timing, technique, and of course they all have to have a kilt! Competitors train hard to be able to compete in these events, and we often have people travel from neighboring states to compete. The roster can include World Record holders and champions from all around. It’s a spectacle you’ll definitely want to see!
Tickets and more information can be found at scotsontherocksmoab.org/