What you need to know about the Altamont Scottish Games

When: 08:00-22:00, Saturday, September 3

Where: Altamont Fairs

Tickets:

• Online: $18 plus a service fee for general admission; $53 plus a service fee for general admission with six beer tickets (must be 21 or older; all patrons will be logged in)

• At the gate: $24 for general admission; $12 for veterans and active military with ID; free for children 12 and under

Parking: Parking is free. There are golf carts for guests with disabilities.

What exactly are the Scottish Games?

The Games are a celebration of Celtic culture that originates from the Scottish Highlands. The early historical origins of the games are unclear – some historians think it comes from testing the strongest Scottish soldiers, some from hunting deer in the Highlands. But the modern games played internationally among the Scottish diaspora, with competitions in music, athletics and dancing, date back to the early 19th century shortly after the repeal of the Dress Act of 1746, which had made it illegal to wear in the Highlands as a dress. The Jacobite Increases.

So how did the games make it to the Capital Region?

The Clan MacRae, a Highland Scottish clan who lived in the area, organized the region’s first Scottish Games in Scotland in 1939. The MacRaes continued playing at the Locomotive Club in Schenectady until 1966. After a 12-year hiatus, the Schenectady Pipe Band revived the Games Capital District Scots in 1978 and helped grow the games to what they are today at the Altamont Fairgrounds.

Don’t miss these Scottish Games events

Casting the caber. Listen, athletic games as a whole are impressive. Stone throwing, hammer throwing, long throw and discus throw are among the classic games. But one reigns supreme: the caber toss. Throwers take a caber, which is basically a tapered telephone pole between 18 and 20 feet long and weighs between 100 and 130 pounds, and lift it vertically from the tapered end. The caber is cast with the intention of rolling over and landing in a 12 o’clock position relative to the cast with the tapered end away from the cast.

Highland Dance. Dancers decked out in tartan and ghillies, the traditional Gaelic dancing shoes, will go toe-to-toe (or sword-to-toe, in some cases) in the Highland Dance Competition starting at 10am. Dancers, accompanied by a live bagpiper, will compete in four traditional, almost balletic dances involving complex footwork: Scottish Lilt, Highland Fling, Seann Triubhas and Sword Dancing.

Music competitions. Dancers aren’t the only ones competing for glory. Drummers and fiddlers will be featured throughout the day, beginning with solo performances when the gates open. Musicians bring out the big guns later in the day with pipe band competitions starting at 1.30pm

Eat, drink and be merry. Get your fill (and then some) with traditional Scottish dishes including sausage rolls, Bridies (a type of meat pie) and other tasty treats. If you’re 21 or older, you can order a beer ticket general admission ticket online, which comes with six beer tickets for the price of five to enjoy throughout the games.

Enter the Haggis. Be sure to check out Toronto-based Celtic rock band Enter the Haggis, perhaps with some haggis in hand. The band, known for hits like “One Last Drink,” combine bagpipes and fiddle with a rock rhythm section for a distinctive sound. The band is playing two sets, including closing the night in the main beer tent at 7pm