Loch Lomond Scottish Gathering and Celtic Festival

Loch Lomond Scottish Gathering and Celtic Festival Santa Cruz Mountains Scottish festival - A longstanding San Lorenzo Valley tradition! Eventually the popular games outgrew Highlands Park.

The Loch Lomond Highland Games were originally held at Highlands Park in Ben Lomond. Jeff Simpson along with former Boulder Creek business owner and Celtic jewelry artist, Garth Duncan, helped bring the games to the valley in the 1990s with the inception of the Loch Lomond Celtic Society. Inspired in part by the legendary “Scottish Days” at Ben Lomond’s Highlands Park back in the 1960s, Simpson sa

id, “We started conceptually in Garth’s shop on Memorial Day 1994, while talking about doing a Games and a Celtic educational venture in the San Lorenzo Valley.”

Jeff has been Chief since 1996, and Garth spearheaded what became the popular Loch Lomond Games at Highlands Park from 1997-2006 before moving his family and his craft to Scotland.

“The reason we want to have the Games in the valley is because of the rich Scottish heritage,” Simpson said. Place names such as Ben Lomond, Bracken Brae and Bonny Doon; road signs bearing the names of the valley’s Scottish settlers; a stone fountain near Highlands Park marking the location of the long vanished 19th century Rowardennan Hotel, the name referencing an enchanted Scottish flower and the Celtic word for "high woodland." Sponsored by International Clan MacFarlane Society, Simpson moved the "Santa Cruz Scottish Games and Celtic Festival" to San Lorenzo Park in Santa Cruz in 2009. The Games were discontinued in 2014. Simpson returned in 2015 to rebrand. The "Big Trees Scottish Gathering and Highland Games" was held that year at Roaring Camp Railroads and shared the event grounds with The Harvest Fair & Steam Festival. The Highland Games will return to San Lorenzo Valley ~ Stay tuned! More about the Games at Roaring Camp:

https://santacruzmountainslocal.com/2015/09/24/scots-wha-hae/

Ben Lomond Scottish Day is coming up September 19, 2026 from 1:00 -5:00PM at Ben Lomond County Park on Mill Street, Ben ...
08/13/2026

Ben Lomond Scottish Day is coming up September 19, 2026 from 1:00 -5:00PM at Ben Lomond County Park on Mill Street, Ben Lomond, Santa Cruz Mountains, CA.

Hosted by the Ben Lomond Village Alliance and co-sponsored by the Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay, Scottish Day is a free lively afternoon celebrating Scottish culture with live music, Highland games, food, history, demonstrations, and activities. Spend the afternoon exploring a variety of Scottish-inspired activities throughout the park. Here's the schedule:

1:00–2:00 PM
Live Music with Jay Salter & the Celtic Circle

2:00–2:30 PM
Falconry Demonstration with The 3 Falconeers Falconry

2:30–3:00 PM
Dance Performance by the San Jose School of Highland Dance

3:00–3:30 PM
Swordfighting Demonstration

3:30–4:30 PM
Community Ceilidh Dancing with Haggis & Avocado

4:30–5:00 PM
Santa Cruz Community Music School

5:00 PM
Shortbread Contest Awards

Visit the BLVA website for all the details:
https://benlomondvillage.org/scottish-day-2026/

Ben Lomond County Park, 9525 Mill St, Ben Lomond

Tune into The Mountain Road Celtic music radio show Mondays 8:00 -10:00 PM PST on KBCZ 89.3FM Boulder Creek Community R...
08/03/2026

Tune into The Mountain Road Celtic music radio show Mondays 8:00 -10:00 PM PST on KBCZ 89.3FM Boulder Creek Community Radio | Streaming globally at kbcz.org. Join your host Julia Dream for two hours of Irish music and the Celtically inclined! Sláinte! 🎻🍀🍺

https://www.facebook.com/CelticMusicRadioKBCZ

Celtic music radio show at KBCZ 89.3 FM Boulder Creek Community Radio | Streaming globally at kbcz.org. The Mountain Road broadcasts live Mondays 8-10:00 PM PST. Accepting new music: c/o 13200 Hwy 9, Boulder Creek, CA. 95006 | MP3s leap2three @ gmail.com

The Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay welcomes Old Blind Dogs straight from Scotland at Kuumbwa Jazz in Santa Cruz Sept...
08/01/2026

The Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay welcomes Old Blind Dogs straight from Scotland at Kuumbwa Jazz in Santa Cruz September 18, 2026! Jonny Hardie (fiddle/vocals), Aaron Jones (cittern/guitar/vocals), Mike Katz (highland pipes/vocals) and Donald Hay (percussion/vocals) rock their signature sound of lively tunes and beautiful harmonies on! Friday, September 18, 2026 starting at 7:30pm! Tix: www.celticsociety.org

We welcome Jonny back, after a too long hiatus imposed by VISA delays. The band is in the process of recording their 15th CD, and promise to bring some of that new music as well as much loved favorites into the intimate Kuumbwa Jazz Center.

The Old Blind Dogs began in Aberdeen in 1992 with roots that grew from the eclectic music scene that flourished in the Granite City during the early 90’s. Four musicians from very different musical backgrounds came together to create a full-time professional touring band with the aim of showcasing the rich tradition of songs and tunes of the North East of Scotland on an international stage. The Old Blind Dogs line up has faced inevitable changes over the years but the core values at the band's musical heart continue to beat strong.

The current band line up has been settled for several years now and consists of four of Scotland's finest traditional musicians at the top of their game.
The Dogs have been inducted to the BBC ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 'Trad Music Hall of Fame'.

💙🎻 The 2nd Annual Ben Lomond Scottish Day celebrating all things Scottish is happening at Ben Lomond County Park on Mill...
06/30/2026

💙🎻 The 2nd Annual Ben Lomond Scottish Day celebrating all things Scottish is happening at Ben Lomond County Park on Mill Street in the Santa Cruz Mountains on Saturday, September 19th from 1:00 to 5:00 pm! Free family friendly event presented by the Ben Lomond Village Alliance.

Jay Salter and his pipers open the ceremony! Be spellbound by falconry displays, live music, and dance performances. Participate in the shortbread contest, enjoy tasty fare from select food trucks and beverages poured by Steel Bonnet Brewing Company, Roberts' Ranch Vineyards, and . Games & crafts for kids. 🪈🥁💃

More information: benlomondvillage.org/event/ben-lomond-scottish-day

Address

Ben Lomond, CA
95005

Telephone

+18313251974

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Loch Lomond Scottish Gathering and Celtic Festival posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to Loch Lomond Scottish Gathering and Celtic Festival:

Shortcuts

Share

Category