Festival Fever: Capital District Scottish Games @ Altamont Fairgrounds

The annual Capital District Scottish Games will once again take over the Altamont Fairgrounds in Altamont on Saturday and Sunday (August 31 & September 1), and naturally there will be plenty of competition going on – everything from the traditional caber toss to the Northeastern United States Pipe Band Championship, from the Highland Dance Competition to the Bonniest Knee Contest.

And, of course, it just wouldn’t be a Scottish festival without music – lots of music. The grounds will be jam-packed with a wide assortment of musical variety all day long on Saturday and Sunday. There’s solo piping and drumming, as well as the massed pipe band extravaganza featuring more than 500 pipers.

The headliners at this year’s fest will be the award-winning six-piece band Manran direct from Scotland, who are in the midst of their first American tour. Fusing together traditional and contemporary elements in their music, singer-guitarist Norrie MacIver and his band is touring in support of their new album, The Test. Manran will be performing on Saturday and Sunday at the Capital District Scottish Games.

Gates open at 8am on Saturday; 9am on Sunday. Saturday tickets are $18 in advance; $22 at the gate, while Sunday tickets are $10 in advance; $12 at the gate; children 12 and under are FREE.

In addition, the weekend-long celebration of all things Scottish will also feature performances by:

Colin Grant-Adams (Saturday and Sunday)

The McKrells (Saturday)

The Brigadoons (Saturday and Sunday)

Aaron Drescher (Saturday and Sunday)

The Braemar Highland Dancers (Sunday)

GO HERE for a complete schedule of festival events…

ADDITIONAL UPCOMING FESTIVALS FOR 2013:
Uncle Sam Jam @ Powers Park, Troy, 8/31/13 (FREE)
The Felice County Fair @ Opus 40, Saugerties, 8/31/13
Saratoga Blues Celebration @ Stockade Imports, Saratoga Springs, 8/31 & 9/1/13 (FREE)
Wall Street Jazz Festival @ various locations, Kingston, 8/31 & 9/1/13
The Final Stretch Music Festival @ various locations, Saratoga Springs (8/31 & 9/1/13) (FREE)
Scum Fest II @ somewhere in the wilds of Berne, 9/1/13
Downtown Albany JazzFest Competition @ various locations, Albany, 9/6/13 (FREE)
Restoration Festival @ Contemporary Artists Center at Woodside, Troy, 9/6&7/13
Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival @ Jennings Landing, Albany, 9/7/13 (FREE)
New Music Festival @ the Empire State Plaza, Albany, 9/7/13 (FREE)
Hispanic Heritage Celebration @ the Empire State Plaza, 9/14/13 (FREE)
FreshGrass Festival @ MASS MoCA, North Adams, 9/20-22/13
Farm Aid @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, 9/21/13 (SOLD OUT)
LarkFest @ Lark Street, Albany, 9/21/13 (FREE)
PearlPalooza @ North Pearl Street, Albany, 9/28/13 (FREE)