The Calgary Games Society is a provincially registered non-profit organization, led entirely by volunteers. We organize the Calgary Celtic Festival and are proud to carry forward Calgary's Highland Games tradition after a six-year absence.
For 113 years, the Games were part of life in this city. A dedicated group of volunteers came forward to ensure that piping, drumming, Highland dance, heavy events, and Celtic music and culture continue to have a home in Calgary. We are rebuilding with care, and we hope the Festival will grow into something the wider Celtic community can share and call its own.
The Festival is the focus of our work, and we are grateful to present it in partnership with Spruce Meadows. Athletes, dancers, musicians, pipe bands, clan societies, cultural associations and families gather for a day of music, sport and culture. Visitors may enjoy live performances, watch traditional competitions up close, and visit the clan and association tents.
The Festival began as the halftime show at the Spruce Meadows North American Tournament each July, when local pipe bands perform together. Over time, it grew into an event for the whole family. The Highland Games remain its foundation, while the Festival is creating more opportunities for Calgary's Celtic communities to participate, contribute and make the event their own.
The Society organizes the Festival, but it is the people who take part who give it its character. We work with performers, competitors, cultural organizations, community groups, sponsors and volunteers, and we value the contribution each one makes.
If you belong to a Celtic community in Calgary and would like to take part, we would be delighted to hear from you. Your ideas are most welcome.
Volunteers make everything we do possible, and we are deeply grateful to them. They plan the Festival throughout the year and see that event day runs smoothly.
If you have a particular skill to offer, a few hours to give, or an interest in becoming more involved with the Society, we would be very pleased to welcome you.
The Festival is built by the people who take part in it. Whether you compete, perform, volunteer, sponsor, or simply wish to come and enjoy the day, there is a place for you here.
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