Back again for year three, the Tallahassee Highland Games at Apalachee Regional Park are shaping up to be something special. With a clear mission to celebrate Scottish and Celtic heritage, culture, and athletics, we’re excited to bring our growing community together once more. Thanks to our incredible supporters, clans, athletes, and friends, these Games have become more than just an event—it’s a homecoming and a new family reunion for so many.
What’s Happening in 2025?
We’re honored to host three stages this year, offering a full range of music, dance, and cultural performances. With Tallahassee Irish Step Dancers, Sycamore Assembly Scottish Line Dancers, and Timberlane Arts and Dance Academy, there will be plenty of opportunities to kick up your heels. We’ll also be joined by the Tallahassee Pipes and Drums, Krooked Kilts, Roisin Mo Chroi, and Dram-O-Day. We’ll also be joined by the Tallahassee Pipes and Drums, Krooked Kilts, Roisin Mo Chroi, and Dram-O-Day, adding rich layers to our celebration. To help keep the culture alive, we’re excited to introduce two new musical competitions this year—a fiddle competition and a bagpipe competition.
For the kids, we’ve expanded the Kids’ Zone, featuring the Kids Highland Games—complete with mini cabers, weights, and even a sheep toss, bounce castles, face painting and other activities performed by some of our guest Clans. We want the next generation to feel just as connected to this culture as we all do, and what better way to spark that interest than through games and fun? We’re excited this idea to work collaboratively with the Clans is growing in momentum, and just plain fun for everyone. We’ve seen coloring contests, a build your own beard event by the North Florida Facial Hair Society, and a rock hunt—to which I’m surprised kids didn’t go onto the field and try to nab the huge Atlas stones. As someone who knew nothing about my origins as a young kid, I’m sure thankful for these interactions today and know whole heartedly how impactful they can be for our youth.
Athletics, Culture, and Tradition
Our local athletes have been training hard all year, and they’ll be competing for the $3,500 prize pot in the National Caber Championship and the $750 prize for Stones of Strength National Qualifier winners. Expect some fierce competition, and the more you cheer, the harder they’ll push! We’re proud to once again have Francis Brebner, 25x World Caber Champion, leading the charge as our emcee, pushing athletes to their new highs with his energy and expertise. Given our new extended layout allowing our guests to view the events even better, Francis and the Athletes should bring quite the show.
To further our commitment to Scottish athletics, we’re proud to introduce Team Tallahassee Sports Corporation, our newly established 501(c)(3) nonprofit. This organization is dedicated to supporting local athletes in their pursuit of Highland sports by providing stipends for travel, acquiring essential training gear, and offering the resources needed to excel in traditional Scottish athletics.
Funds raised from beer sales at the Games will go directly to Team Tallahassee, ensuring that our local athletes have the support to train, compete, and represent Tallahassee across the Highland Games circuit. This initiative allows us to not only celebrate Scottish culture but actively invest in the next generation of athletes, keeping the strength and spirit of the Games alive in our community.
Clans, and VIP Experiences
If you’ve been before, you know that the clans are the heart of our Games. Thankful to our generous Sponsors at Visit Tallahassee, we have the resource to do something quite different—Clans and Societies attend for FREE. We’re looking forward to seeing even more tents set up, with Clans and Societies sharing your stories, some Scotch, and of course the laughter and new memories. Given the uniqueness of our host location, Apalachee Regional Park Many of the Clans will have the Games on one side to enjoy and watch out the backs of their tents, and the festival goers on the front. We’re excited this layout proved a big hit with the community last year. Whether you’re a long-time clan member or a new face, the clan tents will be a must-visit.
We’re thrilled to again host The St. Andrew Society of Tallahassee, which has seen a boost in new members due to the new Tally Highland Games. We’re honored that membership has risen as well as welcoming some new participants this year, including Saving Scottish Wildcats, an organization dedicated to protecting Scotland’s wildcats, a cause and cultural history so unique that I have to say we didn’t even know about at first. It’s new friends, community and awareness like this that we are honored to have been a part of.
And, for those looking for something extra special, our VIP experience is packed with perks—close parking—and we mean close, private tent access, VIP-exclusive cocktails, and a special Friday night dinner with Scotch and SWAG. It’s the best way to immerse yourself fully in the Games. Interestingly enough, as we chose our new Host Hotel, the Holiday Inn Capital East, for its strategic positioning and elegant space, it turns out the management was the original host for the original Tallahassee Highland Games. His excitement and incredible executive chef have created a surprisingly tantalizing menu for us, once again.
Looking Back and Moving Forward
We’re still thinking about last year— we were blessed with at least one perfect day with blue skies, perfect weather, and an incredible sense of community. Even when “true Scottish weather” blessed us on Sunday, we saw the heart and soul of everyone who stayed with us through the rain. As a new Games series, we’re constantly making improvements to our offerings for all of our guests—vendors and clans included, making better use of our space, logistics and of course growing the team. This year is going to be even bigger and better. We’re constantly working to grow, improve, and ensure that the Tallahassee Highland Games is an event people look forward to attending for years to come.
We can’t wait to see you all at the field— check our website www.tallyhighlandgames.com to start planning your experience with us. And of course bring your family, bring your friends, and get ready for the best year yet. Slàinte Mhath, and we look forward to hosting you soon!
The Tallahassee Highland Games takes place February 8-9, 2025. For more details: www.tallyhighlandgames.com
Text by: Ryan R May.