IDAHO!
Boise Idaho
A Wee Dram of Scotland in Idaho: The Treasure Valley Celtic Festival and Highland Games
travel journal by Wildcat Dianne
As Mom and I were walking around the Boise Fairgrounds where the annual Treasure Valley Celtic Festival and Highland Games were being held on a cloudy, sometimes rainy, Saturday, we saw many Scottish men of all ages walking around in kilts of the many clans of Scotland, and we couldn't resist the question, "Do they wear underwear under those kilts?!" The question would be answered later on in the day while Mom and I watched the Highland games complete with the caber toss and other events. While watching "The Weights" competition, which is where the men (and women) toss a heavy weight over a bar over their shoulders and this involved the men to swing the weight under their legs. They had to lift their kilts a little bit, and it was there we saw that most of them were not "going commando" under their kilts and had spandex shorts under them. That answered our question every one asks about the Scottish and their kiltsBoise, Idaho. Braveheart wannabes and Scottish men serious on competing in the games come from all over the Pacific Northwest to compete, and along with the games, there is music, dancers, and crafts booths for all to enjoy. One of my co-workers at Home Depot, Seth, competes in these games with his friend Zach, who is a champion Highland Game performer, and he told me that the games were being held on September 22, and I told Mom about them. Being part Scottish, Mom got all excited, and she began digging out the family information on the Nesbitt side of her family that came from Scotland via England and Canada. There are booths of the many clans that live in the Pacific Northwest, but there were no Nesbitts living in the area, but we did get our family crest and coat of arms printed out for $21 along with a ton of information on our Nesbitt clans life in Scotland through books and other information.
Quick Tips:
Besides running out to Hollywood Video or your nearest department store to rent or buy a copy of Braveheart or Rob Roy (there's proof in those films that Scottish men didn't wear underwear under their kilts a long time ago) to learn about Scottish history and culture, you can check this website www.idahoscots.org for more information about the Scottish American Society in Idaho along with more information about the Festival and Games held every September.There are other Celtic Festivals and Highland Games held in other parts of the Pacific Northwest, and the next even will be held in Prosser, Washington on June 21, 2008 (www.prosserchamber.org). If you don't live near Idaho or Washington, there are other festivals held throughout the USA that one can see.Prepare to spend an entire day at the Festival and Games. They start about 9am and end about 6pm. Mom and I spent about 5 hours at the Treasure Valley Games and Festivals, so bring a warm jacket if the weather is cool and maybe a chair to sit down while watching the Highland Games. It cost me $10 to get into the games, and Mom got in for half that being a senior. Children get in for half the price too, and there is a lot to see for Scottish people of all ages all ages.
Best Way To Get Around:
The Treasure Valley Celtic Festival and Highland Games are held at the Expo Idaho Western Idaho Fairgrounds in Garden City, Idaho. The Fairgrounds, the name for this are to the locals, is located next door to the Boise Hawks baseball stadium and the Les Bois Horse Track. If you are staying in Downtown Boise, you can get to the Fairgrounds via State Street. Turn right onto State Street from downtown and go down the road about 5 miles. Turn left at Glenwood Avenue, and the Fairgrounds are about a mile up the road on the left.
From I-84, take the Curtis Road Exit off of I-184 and turn left onto Fairview Avenue. Take a right onto Cole Road and follow the road to Mountain View Road and take another left. Take a right onto Glenwood, and the Fairgrounds are on the right side