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!

2026 Competition Winners

Raffle
1st Place: Sheila DeKing 
2nd Place (Whisky): Ivan Seaquist
3rd Place (Gin): Carla Shoenau

Georgeson War Hammer
Men’s Division: 260 lb Hammers
1st: Eric Spence –  204′ 2″ shattering his 2025 record of 170′ 3″
2nd: Kendall Thomas  – 163′ 11″
3rd: Jared Conklin – 149′ 6″

Women’s Division: 150 lb Hammers
1st: Emily Adams – 85′ 7″
2nd: Jess Bridenthal  – 70′ 1″
3rd: Sara Sparks  – 32′ 5″

British Car Show
1st Place: 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
2nd Place: 1967 Morris Minor Traveller
3rd Place: 1956 Austin Healey 100M LeMans

Haggis Hurling
Joanne Sherry

Haggis Eating
Karl Cordray

Shortbread Competition
Traditional: Pablo Paredes
Flavored: Marianne Pioch

Knobbly Knees – Men in Kilts – Adult
Lee Nicholson

Knobbly Knees – Men in Kilts – Junior
Christian of the Cowboy Clan

Corporate Partners

Chicago Scots thanks our Corporate Partners who help make the Scottish Festival & Highland Games possible.

Roscoe

Georgeson Family and Scot Forge

UL Research Institutes

Please be sure to post your photos and videos on social media using the hashtag:

#SCOTTISHFEST4ALL

See below for photos from the 2026 Scottish Festival and Highland Games.