Over 12 years ago, Tallahassee saw what was expected to be its last Highland Games. But in 2023, a new organization, May & Fain Cultural & Sports, took up the mantle and revived the Games under their nonprofit. The event was massively successful, boasting a guest turnout of 7,000 guests in spite of torrential rains, 45 athletes, Heavy Athletics, Stones of Strength, 2 stages hosting music and dance, and an abundance of vendors and food! This coming year, The Tallahassee Highland Games will be held February 3-4, 2024, in Tallahassee, Florida. May & Fain Cultural & Sports is absolutely thrilled to invite all Scots from around the globe to attend and/or participate in this event!
Active support for revival of Scottish heritage
After an enormously successful first year, 2024 projections are exponential, with an expected 18,000+ attendees for the event. The Games will be held at Apalachee Regional Park, boasting 90 cleared acres of space and providing ample room for growth. May & Fain is taking great care to provide the best support possible for Scottish heritage and strength activities – both in 2024 and future years. For Athletics, a $4,000 Prize & Scholarship pot is available for our events. We are proudly hosting the International Highland Games Federation United States Caber Toss Championships as part of our Heavy Athletics Competition. Stones of Strength will be featured, including events honoring Tallahassee’s Bicentennial Celebration. Lastly, we are hosting multiple World Record Breaker attempts!
Clans are receiving special care and support in 2024, where our 18,000+ attendees will provide ample opportunity to reconnect with friends and recruit new members. All clans and nonprofit heritage organizations are granted FREE entrance to our event. To support accessibility, volunteer assistance is available to help with the setup of clan tents and displays. Additionally, clans will be placed near the Athletics Field with a clear view of the action. We are also offering time on-stage to present Historical and/or Heritage Talks, including Clan History.
To help “bridge the gap” between generations, we are seeking new ways to engage younger guests with Clans. To this end, we are hosting several optional Clan Competitions this year: Best Whisky, Best Clan Presence, and Best Kids’ Activity. What is “Clan Presence”? It’s not the number of representatives – it’s the richness of tent displays and hospitality.
The Earl and Countess of Caithness
The 2024 Tallahassee Highland Games welcomes the Chief of Clan Sinclair and his wife, the Rt. Hon. The Earl and Countess of Caithness, all the way from Scotland as they host their Annual General Meeting at our Games. Clan Sinclair is our 2024 Honored Clan, and we hope this launches into a tradition for these Games. Their presence underscores the significance of Clan Sinclair within the Scottish diaspora and promises to make our event even more memorable.
Entertainment will feature three stages, including traditional and modern Scottish music, pipe bands, dancing, a beard competition, historical talks, and more. Additional activities include on-site whisky tasting, heritage demonstrations including falconry, blacksmithing, archery, and historical martial arts, and an on-site Saturday evening Cèilidh and Sunday morning Kirkin’.
Where do the proceeds go?
May & Fain Cultural & Sports is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of strength sports and the cultures surrounding them. In addition to the Tallahassee Highland Games, May & Fain promotes, hosts, and donates to a plethora of other events and activities. In 2023, we provided over $2,500 in donations and support for Scottish & Irish Dance Schools, and we assisted one school in hosting a cèilidh fundraising event. An additional $1,000+ was donated to local Music Groups. We have assisted with the revitalization of several local music groups, and promoted our local St. Andrew’s Society with notable success. In coming years, we hope to see an increase in these numbers as we build our organization.
For Heavy Athletics, May & Fain successfully launched what is affectionately dubbed “Team Tallahassee” – a volunteer group offering weekly training in Highland athletics at no cost! This includes the efforts of several professional-grade Highland athletes generously donating their time and expertise to increase access to Scottish strength heritage, and a plethora of equipment provided by our nonprofit. May & Fain actively works with the Special Olympics powerlifting team to provide support and hopefully assist with hosting a local meet.
Last year, we featured Broken Caber at our event – an organization assisting Adaptive Athletes (those missing limbs, suffering neurological disorders, etc.) in training and participation in Highland Games globally. We have an active relationship with other nonprofits as well, including the St. Andrew’s Society of Tallahassee, North Florida Facial Hair Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, and more. Our long-term goals are to host diverse and accessible events highlighting Strength and Heritage, such as the Highland Games. While we are building our Highland Games and Strongman events (including the America’s Strongest State Championship), we hope to expand into other athletic and heritage areas as well. Slàinte Mhath, and we hope to see you there!
To learn more about the 2024 Tallahassee Highland Games, purchase tickets, or donate, please visit: www.tallyhighlandgames.com. If you would like to participate as a clan representative, athlete, vendor, or volunteer, please reach out at: [email protected].
Text by: Ryan May, Tallahassee Highland Games Organizer, President: May & Fain Cultural & Sports.
how do you get tix?