Albuquerque Highland games and Festival

**Weasel Mender** · 5th May 09, 11:04 AM

May 16
Balloon Fiesta Park
9am 5pm

This is the 21st aniversary. The wife and I will be thare most of the day, hope to see a good rabble there

Weasel

**george7** · 5th May 09, 11:11 AM

That's an awesome park in an awesome city of awesome people... but alas it's an awesome distance to travel for a festival.

**Splash_4** · 5th May 09, 11:26 AM

You might see Mrs. Splash and I there. We have a graduation party that starts at 2pm that we cannot miss. But I might be able to talk her into getting there and leaving about mid-day.... insert groveling sounds here..... But dear, it has been 2 years since my last highland games and all of my friends will be there.

**Rob Wright** · 9th May 09, 11:48 AM

I shall be putting in an appearance on saturday as well, not sure if I will be coming in friday night yet or not, schedules are still changing daily.

Rob

**Eric Peterson** · 11th May 09, 06:59 PM

Shoot wish I could make it.....only a couple of hours away.

**Weasel Mender** · 13th May 09, 12:55 PM

So far "She who MUST be obeyed" has declared that on friday nite we are planning to "Eat at Joe's" the Pasta House Cafe on Southern Blvd in Rio Rancho about 6:30 pm PM me with head count as I will be making reservations. Plans for the games meet up I say 10:00 am at the dance tent, I will be wearing my desert camo kilt with an attempted dandelion plant badge on my hat

Weasel

**Weasel Mender** · 17th May 09, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Weasel Mender

May 16
Balloon Fiesta Park
9am 5pm

This is the 21st aniversary. The wife and I will be thare most of the day, hope to see a good rabble there

Weasel

This is my thoughts on the games and festival. As we say here on X-Marks no pics, it did not happen, I took pictures there but I am NOT posting them. Why because IMHO the games and festival did not happen!

The vendors for the most part belonged at a RenFaire or at a SCA event, they wouldn't have known Celtic if you hit them with a cromac!

Kilted turnout was dismal,less than 10% of the people there were kilted! I am counting the games participants and pipe bands in that total! Last year the total less the pipe bands was over 50%

Heavy athletics had less than 25% of last years participants.

Entertainment was dismal, the bands and events on the main stage did not happen, the stage was not even set up! Also there was no dancing or even a venue for it.

Food and drink services sucked. No celtic food, the beer tent was missing we had to pay $8.00 for INSTANT COFFEE. The best food of the event was some homemade cookies being sold by three little girls.

In other words the over all grade for the games and festival F-. I just hope they have not killed it altogether

Weasel

**Splash_4** · 17th May 09, 02:57 PM

That is a real shame and I feel for Rob who had never attended a celtic games. If any of you get out to Atlanta Georgia in October, I invite you to come out to the Stone Mountain Highland Games for a great time!

**Weasel Mender** · 17th May 09, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by Splash_4

That is a real shame and I feel for Rob who had never attended a celtic games. If any of you get out to Atlanta Georgia in October, I invite you to come out to the Stone Mountain Highland Games for a great time!

I agree I would love to come to the Stone Mountain Games just to see how it should be done.

Weasel

**KFCarter** · 17th May 09, 03:48 PM

I've been hoping to make it out there one of these days for the Albuquerque games... I've got a sister in Santa Fe who needs the "games" experience and she doesn't travel much now. Really sorry to hear they were disappointing and I hope they get back on track.
Do come to Stone Mountain if you can, I expect there'll be a huge X-marks contingent and I don't think you'll be disappointed.