NEWS RELEASE
COLORADO TARTAN DAY COUNCIL
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Spring has officially sprung. The trees are budding and flowers are sprouting. But if you can’t wait for all the blooming hues to explode, come on out to the Boulder County Fairgrounds April 8-9, and experience a variety of colorful tartans as the Colorado Tartan Day Council presents the Colorado Tartan Day Festival. The festival started casually in the early 2000’s, and after growing and evolving throughout the years, this will be the 6th annual gathering at this location.
Easter eggs won’t be the only multi-colored undertaking this weekend! Hatch a plan to give the family a treat and explore the fabric of lives celebrating Scotland's cultural and historic contributions to the world. The festival is a family-oriented, family-friendly event, offering something for all cultures and every age group – and admission is FREE to the public.
We invite everyone to join us as we embrace the Tartan, while celebrating family, community, nation, heritage and the human need for a connection. But, people of non-Scottish heritage can join in the fun, too! If you don’t have a kilt, simply outfit yourself with your favorite plaid accessory, or not, as the festival is very informal.
Tartan Day celebrates Scotland's culture. There are an estimated 25 million people in the U.S. who are of Scottish descent. In 1998, the Senate adopted a resolution declaring April 6 as National Tartan Day, which led to the Congressional and Presidential passing of the recognition of Tartan Day Observance on the 6th of April each year.
Historically, Tartan Day is based on a day in 1320 when the Declaration of Arbroath was signed (April 6), declaring Scottish independence. It’s important to note that the American Declaration of Independence was modeled after this historic letter.
Festival-goers can also expect to see a lot of the Colorado State Tartan, a Scottish tartan pattern officially adopted by the state of Colorado in 1997. The tartan is a pattern of colors that symbolize Colorado's splendor and history. Designed by Rev. John B. Pahls in 1995, every color in the tartan is representative of an aspect of the state’s history or identity – the crispness of the blue captures the beauty of clear Colorado skies and the coolness of forest green renders images of pine and spruce that grace the mountains. The contrasting colors of lavender and white are reflective of the granite mountain peaks and the snow that crowns them in the winter months. The white and lavender are also found in the state flower, the columbine. The brilliance of the gold signifies the vast wealth of mineral resources and the mining industry for which the state's early economy was built. And the red references not only the 'C' on the state flag, but the red sandstone soil which gave Colorado its name, meaning red in Spanish.*
The festival will feature dozens of Clan Tents eager to share their respective history and help attendees interested in genealogy trace their lineage back to ancient Scottish families and clans. Additionally, there will be several vendors selling everything from custom-made clothing and jewelry to crafts, leather-items and swords. Besides enjoying the culinary delights at the food trucks, be sure to visit the “Wicked Claymore”, our onsite Scottish pub.
There will be an opening ceremony on Saturday morning with a Parade of Clans. Live entertainment will feature a mix of rock and traditional folk music from bands and singers with decades of experience. The music starts at 11a.m. and alternates throughout the day on both Saturday and Sunday. You may even hear a bagpipe or two at the festival.
Angus Mohr revitalizes traditional Celtic music’s brogue with an American blues accent while rejuvenating rock ’n roll’s broad spectrum with bagpipes and pennywhistles. But their set list is also peppered with songs penned by Dylan, Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash and the Ramones. Angus Mohr crosses musical boundaries to pull in a diverse audience where fans steeped in blue collar classic rock, hippies old and young, and grown-up metal heads dance to timeless music about timeless ideas (www.angusmohr.com).
Gobs O'Phun is a family duet known for “folk’n’fun”, performing traditional Celtic folk songs. Celebrating their 29th year, their songs tell stories, and the stories have universal themes any culture will appreciate. The Gobs spirited, laugh-inducing and affable performance leaves audiences feeling like part of the family (heygobs.weebly.com).
Other attractions include the Renaissance Scots Living History Association, who have been delighting Celtic festival guests for 22 years. Their village setting allows the public to experience Highland life from the time of William Wallace through the Jacobite uprising in 1745. Besides sharing the history, you’ll find demonstrations on heritage crafts such as basket making, blacksmithing, weaving, leather working, and traditional culinary dishes. And for a little more excitement, check out the fighting element of the RenScots, the Wolves of Dunvegan, a skilled display of ancient combat and swordsmanship. They’ll educate the public on their tactics and arsenal, from broadswords and claymores to other assorted, historic weaponry.
Wolf Loescher is a singer/storyteller based in Longmont, Colorado. He sings songs and tells stories from the Old World and the New, accompanying himself on his custom 8-string Irish bouzouki, guitar, banjo and percussion.
Purple Heather is the wonderful singer, Mary O’Neill, performing a cappella songs from a variety of Celtic historical eras.
There will be a special area for children’s activities, including face-painting and crafts. And, “Lemon Drop the Faerie” will be sharing a sense of wonder with trinkets and pixie dust for the bairns (“bairn” is the Scottish word for "children”).
And for Easter morning, we’ll host a traditional Kirkin’ of the Tartan on Sunday ("Kirk" is the Scottish word for "church”).
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket this weekend – join the Colorado Tartan Day Festival for a fun-filled experience for the entire family.
Festival dates, times and location:
- Saturday & Sunday, April 8-9, 2023
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday
- 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday
- Boulder County Fairgrounds
- 9595 Nelson Rd.
- Longmont, CO 80501
Festival attendance is free to the public, though donations are encouraged. The Colorado Tartan Day Council holds a variety of fundraisers throughout the year, including tea and whiskey tasting events, to support the festival.
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