The Kilt ‘O the Falls Highland Games and Gathering will occur tomorrow from 9am – 5pm (see schedule below) in the field behind the Great Falls Scottish Rite.

The band will be participating in the opening ceremony at 1pm and the closing ceremony at 4:30pm. We will need to meet no later than 12:30pm to get ready for the opening ceremony.

The uniform for the day will be spats, diced hose, kilt, horse hair sporran, belt, white shirt and Glen Garry. If you don’t happen to have something, wear what you have.

This is going to be a fairly large event with clans, vendors, beer tent, live music, highland athletics, and of course the pipes and drums. We will have members from both the Billings Caledonia Pipe Band and the Celtic Dragon Pipe Band from Missoula attending, and my have others show up as well, so it will be a great chance to meet other players and do some in-state networking.

There will also be a solo piping competition that is occuring from about 9:30am, so if you are interested stop down and listen, or even better, compete!

The schedule of events:
9:00 – Gate opens, Games begin, Solo piping registration
9:30 – Solo Piping Competition Begins
11:00 – Piping Workshop
11:30 – Russell Country Cloggers
12:00 – Rare Ould Times
12:30 – Form up for Opening Ceremony
1:00 – Parade of the Clans
1:30 – Great Falls Pipeband Tent setup – Try the pipes!
2:00 – Cry of the Dear
3:00 – Thorns Among Roses
3:30 – Bonnie Knees Contest
4:00 – Thorns Among Roses
4:00 – Form up for Closing Ceremony
4:30 – Closing

This should be a good recruitment opportunity for new members, so please try and make it down to help man the tent from 1:30 – 4:00. I will have a set or two of pipes for the public to try, as well as a practice chanter and sticks and a pad for the drums.

See you tomorrow!

This weekend saw the seventh annual Bitterroot Highland Games and Gathering held on the beautiful grounds of the Daly Mansion in Hamilton MT. Tim Stoddard and Jesse Callender competed in the solo piping competitions, played for 10-15 minutes every hour for entertainment at the event, and in the massed bands both days.

It also saw the first public appearance of the new GFPB band tent. 

There was a lot of interest in the Great Falls event, which will be occurring at the Scottish Rite this coming Saturday, and it sounds like a number of pipers from around the state will be making the trip.

(Please click the link in the email to view the pictures)

The first Annual Great Falls Kilt o’ the Falls Celtic Festival will be held on August 27, 2016, at the field behind the Great Falls Scottish Rite.

The event will feature clans, vendors, highland athletics, celtic music, and of course  pipes and drums.

Please consider showing up and supporting this unique event!

For more information, please visit the Kilt o’ the Falls Official Website or Kilt o’ the Falls Facebook page.

Thanks to everyone who paraded with the band this morning! It was a great day, with just enough of a breeze to make the temperature bearable. It was also the first time in many years that the band did the full 17 block parade, everyone made it, and the new drums looked and sounded great!

Here a a few pictures of the band that I was sent: