“We had a lot going on,” said Livestock Breeeders Association manager Sue Morison of the schedule for the organization’s sixth edition of the Fall Festival and third Highland Games, which took place over the weekend.
The weekend started off with the annual golf tournament, with four additional teams teeing off compared to last year, and full tables for the savoury supper that followed.
The grills were fired up, with buckets of BBQ sauce, corn bread, and enough racks of smoky ribs to last the weekend. Several other food trucks and stands ensured all were well fed during the event, which included bouncy games for children, line-dancing marathons, a fall harvest market, garden tractor pulls, harness horse racing, and even a little bingo.
“Saturday was beautiful. Everywhere I looked on the grounds, there were people enjoying themselves,” said Morison.
The athletes took to the field late in the afternoon on Saturday for the traditional heavy events associated with the Highland Games. The competition featured five events, including the stone put, Scottish hammer throw, weight for distance, weight over bar, and the crowd-pleasing caber toss.
Highland games athlete Jason Baines came up with the idea of holding the professional games during the evening on Saturday followed the next morning by a clinic to initiate those willing to test their strength into the sport. Seven rookies put on their kilts and stepped onto the field for a morning of exercises and afternoon competition.
Sunday’s celebration of Scottish heritage was opened with a stirring mass performance by the RCMP Division C Pipes and Drums, the Montreal Pipes and Drums, the Fraser Highlanders from Quebec City, members of the Black Watch Royal Highland Regiment, members of the Montreal School of Piping and Drumming, and a few honorary members from the Valley.
The day included Highland dancing with the Montreal Highland Dancing Association and the Royal Scottish Dance Society, clan gatherings, photos with Highland cows and a chance to throw some rocks and discover curling on a synthetic rink set up by Curling Quebec. A traditional Scottish lunch was served, and the pipe and drum bands serenaded crowds during pop up performances throughout the grounds.
“All of these things are about our community,” said Morison, who suggests the weekend festival is really an opportunity to revel in the Valley’s rich heritage and rural culture. “It was a really positive event. People want to come back, and it’s a lot of fun.”
