Hawaiian Scottish Association announces Celtic Days in Hawai’i, 2018 Scottish Highland Festival and Games
Celtic Days in Hawai’i kicked off March 1 with Mayor Caldwell’s Proclamation to build awareness and action for Celtic Heritage and our cultural connections to the local community.
HONOLULU -- To promote year-round awareness of our Celtic organizations and their connection to Hawaii, the Hawaiian Scottish Association announces the beginning of the annual Celtic Days in Hawai’i observance March 1 - April 30 and the upcoming Highland Scottish Festival and Games April 7 - 8.
"Scots and Irish in Hawaii are part of the community every day, not just two months or one weekend a year," said Gregg Fraser, Chieftain of HSA. "By holding Celtic Days and throwing the festival, we have the opportunity to educate people about the historical connections between Scotland, Ireland, and Hawai'i and share our traditions with the public while generating another point of interest for visitors supporting Hawai’i's economy."
The Celtic Days celebration includes many events in the run-up to the festival.
- March 9 Governor's Proclamation Celtic Days in Hawaii - State Capitol
- Ongoing Art Contest - Various
- March 10 Friends of St. Patrick Emerald Ball - Japanese Cultural Center
- March 17 St. Patrick's Day Parade and Block Party - Murphy’s and O’Tooles
- March 20 Ulster Historical Foundation Genealogy Workshop - St. Andrew’s Cathedral
- March 27 Grand Scotch Tasting Tour - The Willows
- April 5 Caledonian Society of Hawaii Tribute to Princess Ka'ulani - Royal Mausoleum
- April 6 National Tartan Day - State Capitol
- April 6 Scottish Festival Ceilidh (Social) - McCoy Pavilion
- April 7 - 8 Scottish Highland Festival and Games - McCoy Pavilion
- April 22 Blue Shamrock Kilted Classic Golf Tournament- Pearl Country Club
"The festival is our signature event. 2018 will be our 37th year, and it keeps growing. Through the dedication of our board and volunteers, we will again have games, entertainment headlined by duo Switchback, the Grand Scotch Tour, local young artists, pipe bands, clans, vendors, and crafters. The Dance competition brings in more than 50 dancers from Hawai’i, the mainland, Canada, and Scotland. We are also pleased to announce the second year of our growing Aggie Wallace Memorial Solo Piping Competition. We are thrilled to bring all this to Hawai’i."
A new element of this year's festival is the storytelling art contest; theme - Uniting Cultures. In this contest, HSA will provide a presentation on this history in several schools. High school students will be asked to enter and share their interpretation of the unified heritage of the Hawaiians and Scots in the islands. Winners will receive free books on cultural history, dance lessons, art displayed at the Hawaiian Scottish Festival, and more.
The annual Hawaiian Scottish Festival & Highland Games held early in April to celebrate the heritage and history of the Scots in Hawai’i.
The festival, held at McCoy Pavilion Ala Moana Beach Park, will run from 10 am to 9 pm Saturday, April 7 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 8. Festival Admission is just $3 and children under 12 are free.
These events are made possible in part by donations from Fujioka's Market, Southern Wine & Spirits, Young's Market Company, Paradise Beverage, the Celtic organization and generous private donors.
For more festival information please visit http://hawaiianscottishassociation.org/For media please contact Sara Muir 206-698-6812, sgmuir@icloud.com. For points of contact, to sponsor or request art contest info please contact or Brandi Kiana-Jo 808-393-5527, bkj@bandikianajo.com.
About HSA:
The Hawaiian Scottish Association, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is a gathering place for Hawaii locals and visitors with Scottish heritage or enthusiasm. We host various events through the year, visit http://hawaiianscottishassociation.org/
Visit our other Celtic organizations:
St. Andrew's Society of Hawai'i https://standrewsocietyhawaii.org
The Caledonian Society of Hawai'i http://www.scotsinhawaii.org/
Royal Scottish Country Dance Society – Hawai'i Branch http://rscdshawaii.org
Celtic Pipes & Drums of Hawai'i http://www.celticpipeshawaii.org
Friends of St. Patrick https://www.friendsofstpatrickhawaii.com