152nd Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival
Published on Apr 20, 2015BYOK (Bring Your Own Kilt)
Get out your best kilt because it’s almost time for the 152nd Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival. The festival is being held this year at Topaz Park in Victoria, British Columbia. Bring your family and friends and celebrate the Scottish culture that produces some great times for all! Enjoy events such as the tug-of-war competition, the kilted mile athletics, the sheep dog herding competition and many more! There will also be music and entertainment as well as a large children's entertainment area. Don’t forget to stop by the Scottish and Celtic vendors for food and goodies. The event will also have two beer gardens and a single malt whiskey tasting school for the adults. If you like games, there will be plenty of them going on at the festival this year. With so many activities you and your family will be sure to stay entertained all day long.
A Little History
The Victoria Highland Games and Celtic festival first began in 1938 and was held at MacDonald Park bringing in over 2,000 spectators and competitors its first year. During the war years of 1939-1945 the Victoria Highland Games Association continued its annual gatherings to donate its proceeds to the Scottish war effort. As the games continued and became more of a regular event, they also become a multicultural hub for competitors. As the years went on, the interest in the games expanded from only those with Scottish lineage to competitors of all nationalities. The games have been held at various venues over the last several decades and moved in 2008 to Topaz Park in Victoria for a 2 day Games and Celtic Festival.
Admission and Dates
The festival begins Saturday, May 16th and goes through Monday, May 18th at Topaz Park in Victoria, B.C. The gates will be open from 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday/Sunday and Monday from 10 am - 4 pm. If you purchase your tickets in advance you can save a little bit of money on them.
Advance Ticket Prices: 12 and under gets in free!
Weekend Pass (Adults)- $24
Weekend Pass (Senior/Youth)- $20
Single Day Saturday/Sunday-Adults-$12 Senior/Youth- $10
Single Day Monday-Adults $8 Senior/Youth- $6
At Gate Ticket Prices: 12 and under gets in free!
(Cash Only) ATM available
Weekend Pass (Adults)- $30
Weekend Pass (Senior/Youth)- $24
Single Day Saturday/Sunday- Adults-$15 Senior/Youth-$12
Single Day Monday- Adults-$10 Senior/Youth $8
Places to Stay
If you are traveling from out of town for the festival, here are a few nearby campsites that are RV friendly.
This park is the largest all year round RV park in Victoria, BC. It’s only a 16 minute drive from Topaz park and offers 300 full hookup sites, free cable TV, dump station, laundry, RV supplies and whale watching which includes free pick ups! This is great place to stay if you’re wanting to explore the area and be close to the festival.
Stay at this campground for only a 17 minute drive to Topaz park. Easily accessible from Highway 1 and 6 mile road and close to downtown Victoria. There are many local services and amenities nearby making this a good option if you want to stay close to all the festivities.
This resort is a little bit further away from the festival but the resort is fairly new and was built in 2009. If you don’t mind the 37 minute drive to Topaz park you won’t be disappointed in your stay here. There are many great features to this resort including a full service marina, a gorgeous backdrop of the Cascade Mountain Range and the Race Rocks at the Marine Reserve. It’s also only minutes away from some of British Columbia’s most scenic views including Matheson Lake Regional park and countless wilderness trails.
Triangle RV Centre
Don’t forget that if you’re traveling through the area and in need of a service to stop by our service center open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can also browse our parts online if you are in need of any type of RV parts while you’re here. If you have any questions about a service don’t hesitate to contact us!
