{"id":8259,"date":"2026-03-25T20:45:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T20:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/25\/14th-annual-tartan-day-south-highland-games-celtic-festival\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T20:45:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T20:45:03","slug":"14th-annual-tartan-day-south-highland-games-celtic-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/25\/14th-annual-tartan-day-south-highland-games-celtic-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"14th Annual Tartan Day South Highland Games &#038; Celtic Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"154\" data-end=\"378\">COLUMBIA, S.C. &mdash; Celebrate Celtic heritage in South Carolina&rsquo;s Midlands during <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Tartan Day South<\/span><\/span>, a four-day festival filled with cultural pride, athletic competition, live music, and family-friendly fun.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"380\" data-end=\"643\">The festival&rsquo;s centerpiece takes place Saturday at the <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Historic Columbia Speedway<\/span><\/span>, where the sights and sounds of traditional Highland games come alive alongside massed pipe bands, folk dancing, artisan markets, and interactive activities for all ages.<\/p>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"1bs6cib\" data-start=\"645\" data-end=\"668\">Festival Highlights<\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"670\" data-end=\"1280\">\n<li data-section-id=\"hfl4k2\" data-start=\"670\" data-end=\"785\"><strong data-start=\"672\" data-end=\"695\">Highland Athletics:<\/strong> Experience thrilling, time-honored Scottish competitions showcasing strength and skill.<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"b1g3nl\" data-start=\"786\" data-end=\"923\"><strong data-start=\"788\" data-end=\"818\">Live Celtic Music &amp; Dance:<\/strong> Enjoy performances from pipe-and-drum bands, dancers, and regional acts celebrating Celtic traditions.<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1xptj2y\" data-start=\"924\" data-end=\"1041\"><strong data-start=\"926\" data-end=\"951\">Cultural Marketplace:<\/strong> Browse authentic food, crafts, and clan exhibits that highlight centuries-old heritage.<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1irmj0z\" data-start=\"1042\" data-end=\"1181\"><strong data-start=\"1044\" data-end=\"1070\">Unique Demonstrations:<\/strong> From sheepdog herding to birds of prey and a classic British car show, there&rsquo;s something for every interest.<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"5volqg\" data-start=\"1182\" data-end=\"1280\"><strong data-start=\"1184\" data-end=\"1208\">Croquet Exhibitions:<\/strong> A nod to heritage sport with interactive opportunities for attendees.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"15gxjab\" data-start=\"1282\" data-end=\"1307\">Beyond the Main Event<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1309\" data-end=\"1652\">Events throughout the festival extend beyond Saturday, with programming hosted at venues across <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Cayce<\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">West Columbia<\/span><\/span>, and <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Lexington<\/span><\/span>. Additional highlights include kickoff gatherings, live concerts, and the traditional &ldquo;Kirkin&rsquo; of the Tartans&rdquo; worship service.<\/p>\n<h3 data-section-id=\"1f3lu8s\" data-start=\"1654\" data-end=\"1674\">Purpose &amp; Impact<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1676\" data-end=\"1903\">Tartan Day South celebrates the rich traditions of Scottish, Irish, and English heritage while supporting the mission of <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">The River Alliance<\/span><\/span>, which works to preserve and promote access to the Midlands&rsquo; rivers.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1905\" data-end=\"2079\">Mark your calendars for this spirited celebration of athletics, artistry, and ancestry&mdash;bringing together culture, community, and connection to the region&rsquo;s natural resources.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2081\" data-end=\"2146\"><strong data-start=\"2081\" data-end=\"2093\">Tickets:<\/strong> Available online at tartandaysouth.com\/tickets-info\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>COLUMBIA, S.C. &mdash; Celebrate Celtic heritage in South Carolina&rsquo;s Midlands during Tartan Day South, a four-day festival filled with cultural pride, athletic competition, live music, and family-friendly fun. The festival&rsquo;s centerpiece takes place Saturday at the Historic Columbia Speedway, where the sights and sounds of traditional Highland games come alive<span class=\"more-link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/25\/14th-annual-tartan-day-south-highland-games-celtic-festival\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[32],"tags":[745],"class_list":["entry","author-john-griggs","post-8259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-events","tag-tartan-day-south"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gpstrianglenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/TartanDaySouth-Bag-Pipes-_2026_630x350.jpg?fit=630%2C350","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8259"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8259\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}