The Scottish Festival & Highland Games
Everyone is Scottish (for at least one weekend). Each June, we celebrate with our family-friendly, two day festival. In 2024, we moved to the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton. About 15,000 people join us each year for a variety of Scottish activities and attractions from the iconic caber toss to the largest bagpiping and drumming championship in North America. There is truly something for everyone with our Highland Dancing competition, children’s activities, dogs of Scotland, a British Car show, a Celtic rock stage, knobbly knees contest, whisky tasting, genealogy and much more! At our marketplace you can buy everything Scottish….kilts, candy, jewelry and of course shortbread and haggis!
Save the Date
40th Annual Scottish Festival & Highland Games
June 12 and 13, 2026
DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton
Plus, join us for a special performance by the Inverary Pipe Band on June 12th at 7:00 PM at the Pfeiffer Concert Hall on the campus of North Central College in Naperville before they compete in the largest pipe band championship in the United States at the 40th Annual Scottish Festival & Highland Games on Saturday, June 13, 2026! Learn more.
The Hotel Room Block is now open at the Chicago Marriott Naperville with rooms available for $145/night.
2025 Competition Winners
Pipe Band Competition
1st Place – Grade 1: St. Thomas Alumni
1st Place – Grade 2: Ulster Scottish Pipe Band
1st Place – Grade 3: Carnegie Mellon University
1st Place – Grade 4: Siren City
1st Place – Grade 5: Macalester College
Clans
Best Presentation – Clan MacEwen
Heavy Athletics
1st Place Men’s Division: Issac Burchett
1st Place Women’s Division: Katie Crowley
Open Stone: Cameron Newkirk
Heavy Weight for Distance: Katie Crowley
Light Weight for Distance: Alisha Donner
Heavy Hammer: Isaac Burchett
Caber: Katie Crowley
Sheaf: Cameron Newkirk
Weight Over Bar: Luke Crowley
British Car Show
1st Place: Harold Bullard – 1967 Morris Minor Traveller
2nd Place: Taylor Kennedy – 1948 Hillman Minx
3rd Place: Dave Ott – 1973 Land Rover Series 3
Haggis Hurling
Kristina Guevara
Haggis Eating
Matthew Lydon
Shortbread Competition
Traditional: Sarah Wilson
Flavored: Marianne Pioch
Knobbly Knees – Men in Kilts – Adult
Sam Wrobel
Knobbly Knees – Men in Kilts – Junior
Christian of the Minecraft Clan
Please be sure to post your photos and videos on social media using the hashtag:
#SCOTTISHFEST4ALL
See below for photos from the 2025 Scottish Festival and Highland Games.
Every year at our Scottish Festival & Highland Games, the Chicago Scots feature a family or an organization as our Honored Clan. This year, to recognize and celebrate its’ strong Scottish roots, our Honored Clan is Rotary International. We are proud to announce that Rotary International’s Scottish President, Gordon McInally has agreed to lead our Parade of Tartans at 12:30 p.m. Gordon will also receive the Salute to the Chieftain from the Massed Pipe Bands at approximately 6.30pm on Saturday, June 15, 2024.