Hot Air Balloon Rides Start the Day

Sky view of Festival

Athlete Competition - Bird's Eye View

Weight Toss Event for Distance

Possible Winning Toss

Strolling Amoung Vendor Tents

Patrick Regan Renound Piper Opens the Festival

Serenading the Ceilidh Audience on the Foxburg Green

The Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts third annual Foxburg Scottish Festival is now a memory. The Festival began Friday evening August 19th with a lone bagpiper crossing the Foxburg bridge announcing the Ceilidh on the Foxburg green. Though thunderstorms occurred in the surrounding region, only a few rain drops were felt before the evening sky became twilight blue and cloudless.

Saturday morning the festivities moved to RiverStone Farm. A morning fog lingered providing a touch of Scotland and a dramatic backdrop for the impressive tethered red, white, and blue hot air balloon rising repeatedly above the festival grounds. Yet by 10 AM the burnt off fog gave way to, blue skies with white billowly clouds, strolling bag pipers, high stepping highland dancers, muscled athletes tossing the caber log, and scottish dogs going through their paces. Time slowed as some visitors took the opportunity to try their hand at playing cricket, or showing off thier golf swing. Others boarded carriages to have an expanded view of the RiverStone grounds. Many sat contently under tall stately oaks, pines, and maples to listen to Scottish music from bagpipers, and singers, to the energetic and engaging sound of the four sisters of Maidens IV. Children sat patiently to have their face painted or listened intently to animated storytellers. Often people just strolled among the vendors, food stands, and clan tents or sat relaxed in the shade.

In the middle of the Festival, all activities paused, as time was taken to honor the passing of one the Festivals initial and avid organizers. Kathie Shepherd, a member of Clan Donald, who dedicated many hours and much energy to establish the Foxburg festival was overtaken by a form of terminal cancer and died in late July. Led by the MacDonald Pipe Band, attendees joined the playing by singing together the meaningful hymn of "Amazing Grace." Kathie will indeed be missed by her good husband Wes, her family, her clan, and the Foxburg Scottish Festival community.

Activities continued till 5:00 PM at the Farm, and closed with a final concert performance featuring the Maidens IV at Lincoln Hall.in downtown Foxburg. From many, who attended the festival, as well as performers, vendors traveling from as far as North Carolina and Wisconsin, and enthusiastic volunteers, came the shared comment of the day...."Amazing."

ARCA wishes to extend Thank yous to its many hard working volunteers and special recognition of the Festival Gold Level Sponsors: Farmers National Bank, Great Outdoors Visitor Bureau, Hovis Truck Service, Staab Typographics, and EQT "Energy" Inc.