Geelong Scots expand Gathering

The 55th Geelong Highland Gathering will be held on March 17 and 18, expanding to a two-day event, for the first time in m any years, with the 17th being St Patrick’s Day.

For the second successive year, the Gathering will be held at the Geelong Showgrounds, Breakwater, Geelong.

The Saturday will be a free day, but confined two solo piping and drumming competitions and a mini pipe band contest.

On Sunday, the usual full agenda will showcase a wide range of Scottish events and culture, with an expanded children’s programme, including “Wee Heavy Games”, with foam cabers etc., and Highland Passports for children to be stamped as they move form one event to another.

There will also be jumping castles, a petting zoo, face-painting and junior haggis hurling event for the children with all these activities free once entry to the gathering has been paid.

There will be pipe band competitions, with piping and drumming judges from New Zealand officiating, Highland dancing competitions, Scottish Country dancing displays, Scottish heavy games competitions, including the ever-popular caber-tossing.

Sunday will also see the 42nd Highland Regiment military re-enactment group drills and musketry and the Glen Lachlann Estate College of Arms martial arts swordsmanship displays and the popular novelty haggis hurling event.

There will also be Clan tents and Scottish genealogy groups, Scottish souvenir and food and soft drink stalls and a ran ge of other activities.

Gathering president, John Fraser, said he hoped to be ab le to announce other new events in the not-too-distant future when negotiations with the parties concerned were completed.

Further information re the Geelong Showgrounds location can be found at Melways Map 452 E10.

For further information, see www.geelonghighlandgathering.org.au or for
enquiries email: secretary {at} geelonghighlandgathering.org(.)au