- April 29, 2024
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Highland Games athletes participate in the sheaf toss event at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Daytona Beach Pipe and Drums lead the Parade of the Tartans at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athletes participate in the weight over bar event at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Clans gathered at the Clan Hospitality Center at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athlete Ben Buchanan waits for his turn in the open stone event at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athlete Ben Buchanan participates in one of the stone put events at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Clans gathered at the Clan Hospitality Center at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
At 69 years-old, Doug Pettit is the oldest competing athlete at the 12th annual Celtic Festival Highland Games. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athlete Todd Bell of Winter Springs takes a moment before throwing the stone at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athlete Bill Simonitsch concentrates on his open stone throw at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
David Laird shows his tatto that pays homage to his birthplace--Scotland. Photo by Michele Meyers
17-year-old Brock Burnett is following in his dad and uncle's path by being a Highland Games athlete. Here he is competing in the sheaf toss event at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Veronica Martinson of St. Augustine competes in her third Highland Games at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Anna, Isabelle and Gracie Easterbrook sit in a pirates throne at Dredmors Plunder at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Owner of Dreadmors Plunder, Dean Cochran, talks to customers Carl and Elan Adams about their son's kilt pin at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Owner of Fletcher's Pub, Bill Fletcher, and his family always have a line of people waiting for Irish fare and Guinness at Ormond Beach MainStreet's annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Bill, Connor and Billy Fletcher serve Fletcher's Pub fare and drinks to the masses at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Phil Irwin and Ormond Beach resident Jennie Haywood, owner of Memorable Expressions 360 Photo Booth, pose after his photoshoot at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Phil Irwin poses for his Memorable Expressions 360 Photo Booth photoshoot at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Phil Irwin and Ormond Beach resident Jennie Haywood, owner of Memorable Expressions 360 Photo Booth, have a few laughs before his photoshoot at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Clan Hannay represents during the Parade of the Tartans at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Highland Games athlete Bill Simonitsch throws in the open stone event at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Elan Adams atttaches her son Alexander Chastain Adams' kilt pin on in Dredmors Plunder booth at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Musician Brian Smalley plays a slip jig at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Laura and Don Ahlskog walk with Jamie Alexander, named for the Outlander star, at the 12th annual Celtic Ffestival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jamie Alexander, named for the Outlander star, poses at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Elan Adams dances with her son Alexander Chastain Adams to Celtic music at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
The 12th annual Celtic Festival is held at the Casements and Fortunato Park every year. Photo by Michele Meyers
Gary Graham brings Ceilidh and her vehicle to the Celtic Festival every year where she charms the everyone. Photo by Michele Meyers
Ceilidh is pet by festival goers at the Celtic Festival every year. Photo by Michele Meyers
Fletcher and Molly Childress pet Ceidilh at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mom Mia Jurgens and daughter Kieran Jurgens have lived in Ormond Beach a couple years and finally got to go to the Celtic Festival in the outfits Mia made. Photo by Michele Meyers
Junior Kieran Jurgens takes American Music Theater and chorus at Seabreeze High School. Photo by Michele Meyers
Festival goers relax under the shade while they enjoy music at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Clan MacGregor proudly carries their colors in the Parade of the Tartans at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
Clan Davidson goes incognito during the Parade of the Tartans at the 12th annual Celtic Festival. Photo by Michele Meyers
The 12th annual Celtic Festival arrived on a cloud-flecked, blue-skied day amid a sea of tartans, tankards and the occasional lilt. Festivalgoers came from all over to attend the event, with the Highland gamers kicking off the weekend festivities early Saturday morning on April 15.
Athletes occupied the grassy area along the walkway approaching Rockefeller Gardens, where food vendors and artisans set up tents, trucks and activities for attendees. Celtic music filled the air, already saturated with the smell of fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and haggis, bolstering the already lively atmosphere.
The Highland Games athletes ranged in age from 17-year-old Brock Burnett to the oldest competitor, 69-year-old Doug Pettit. They participated in a variety of Scottish heavy athletic events sanctioned by the Scottish League Games. Events included stone put, sheaf toss, caber toss, hammer throw and weight for height, to name a few.
Pettit, of Ormond Beach, always enjoyed watching the Scottish games and competed once in 2011. After eight years, he got back into it.
“The first one I ever did, I went up to the lady (at one of the Scottish games) and asked her how I could get involved with this,” he said. “She told me, ‘Give me $20 dollars and go get a kilt.’”
He ran for the Volusia County Council in 2022 but prefers the competition and camaraderie of the athletes involved in the games.
“It’s really a lot of fun, particularly with the older groups,” he said. “A lot of them help each other, and we get to see each other at a lot of the events. It’s great to get together again.”
Veronica Martinson had a similar experience. The Ormond Beach Highland Games were just her third competition.
The first one I ever did, I went up to the lady (at one of the Scottish games) and asked her how I could get involved with this. She told me, ‘Give me $20 dollars and go get a kilt.’” — Doug Pettit, Ormond Beach
She had always been interested but couldn’t get her friends to go to the Scottish games workshop held in St. Augustine, so she decided to attend on her own
“This year I was like, I think I’ll walk over to the field and just go,” she said. “Everybody was so nice and supportive. They’re like, ‘You should just compete tomorrow.’ I said I didn’t know what I’m doing, and they told me this is how you learn.”
Festival attendees could watch the athletes on Saturday as well as enjoy a variety of musicians on multiple stages throughout the weekend.
There were approximately 69 performances on the schedule, including the Parade of the Tartans, led by the Daytona Beach Pipe and Drums on Saturday and the Mount Dora Pipe Band on Sunday.
There were activities for kids and adults throughout the weekend. Everyone had an opportunity to learn about their heritage from one of the clan tables, hang out in the beer garden drinking a Guinness or enjoying the Kidzone as a family.
Mother and daughter Mia and Kieran Jurgens, of Ormond Beach, attended the festival for the first time this past weekend.
“We have lived here a couple years, and this is our first chance to get out here,” Mia Jurgens said. “We can finally wear the (Celtic) dresses I made years ago.”
