Glasgow Lands Festival returns to Look Park for 31st anniversary
The day-long celebration at Look Park will feature pipe bands, heavy athletics, and Celtic music with headliners from Glasgow and local performers.
NORTHAMPTON — The 31st annual Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival will return to Look Park on Saturday, July 18, bringing Scottish music, heavy athletics, and cultural traditions to the region. The day-long, rain-or-shine celebration typically draws 5,000 to 6,000 attendees and is the only festival of its kind in Massachusetts and the second largest in New England, according to organizers.
The festival began in 1994 as a one-time fundraiser at the Blanford Fairgrounds to restore the historic White Church in Blanford. Its success prompted organizers to make it an annual event. The festival moved to Stanley Park in Westfield in 1999 before settling at Look Park in 2004. The name honors Blanford's history, originally settled in 1735 by Ulster Scots and known as "Glasgow Lands" or "New Glasgow." Festival Chairman Peter Langmore told The Reminder that the event has become a family gathering where "there is something for everyone."
Ceililidh music will run throughout the day starting at 9 a.m. in the Ceilidh Tent, with headliners including Glasgow-based Albannach, Pipe Dream, and Celtic-rock bands Seven Nations and Haggis x-1. The Young Folk and Pioneer Valley Harpers Guild will perform pop-up sets. Grand opening ceremonies begin at 11:30 a.m. and will feature more than 30 competing pipe bands with nearly 700 pipers and drummers. The festival will host the EUSPBA Northeast Branch Amateur Drumming Championships and Irish Dance demonstrations from two local academies.
The closing ceremony will feature pipers performing "Amazing Grace," a tradition that Langmore described as deeply moving. He said the moment when all bands and pipers perform together "is so amazing" and makes it difficult not to become emotional.
The Highland Games will showcase heavy athletics with competitors performing traditional feats of strength. A Stone Lifting Try-It Station will allow attendees of any age to attempt lifting stones of varying weights. One stone from Glasgow weighs 266 pounds. Langmore explained that these games have historical roots in Scottish clan culture, where strength tests determined who would become a chief's protector.
Other attractions include a historic Highlanders encampment, sheep herding demonstrations, and exhibits from the Weaver's Guild of Springfield. Genealogists and clan representatives will help attendees trace family trees. The Celtic Pub will serve local microbrews from New City Brewery, Wine and Mead, and a whisky tasting presented by The Whisky Pirate is available for separate ticket purchase through www.glasgowlands.org. Scottish cuisine will include bridies, meat pies, scones, and shortbread. A dedicated Kids' Corner offers athletic games and access to the Look Park water spray park.
Funds raised will support River Valley Counseling Center and Forum House, a service of Viability Inc. The counseling center provides mental health services to children and adults in Hampden County, while Forum House supports disabled and disadvantaged adults in Western Massachusetts. Langmore noted that the festival typically donates $40,000 to $43,000 annually to nonprofits. For more information and tickets, visit https://glasgowlands.org.