San Diego Games back for 2026

[SF Jeff]

The San Diego Highland games are back this year after a hiatus in 2025. Good news is that they are actually in SD and not Vista. I've been to Vista and logistically it was just a pain in the a$$. This new venue looks much more suited for highland games. More open, freeway accessible and on-site parking (no shuttles needed). It's a farther drive for us coming from the LA/OC area but that may be partially offset by the easier on-site parking.

https://sdhighlandgames.org/new-location-for-2026/

[YOJiMBO20]

I went and checked out the park a last week.

It is definitely better than Brengle Terrace was, mainly being flat (I always hated all the hills after a day in gillie brogues).

It's several grass patches connected with some cement paths, and has a pretty nice playground in the shade for kids (I have two young kids, so that’s a big plus for me). The biggest issue I see is the lack of shade, other than directly beneath the trolley bridge.

I'm looking forward to seeing how they set everything up and really hope that:

a) they don’t put the pipe band contests in a horrible location like the did in the last few years at Vista - dusty dirt and hot asphalt were a major downgrade from being able to play on the grass which, for some reason, was needed to hold extra cabers

and b) they do like EVERY OTHER GAMES out there and let you walk around with your beer instead of keeping you in the beer tent. If I want a beer after competing, I want to be able to walk around or sit in our band’s area, and not have to shout over the show bands performing (no offense intended towards Wicked Tinkers, Highland Way, or any other band in the beer tent, it’s just too loud to be able to relax before closing ceremonies).

I’m definitely toying with the idea of taking the trolley there (the trolley stop is just as far as parking will be) and saving money on parking. For those coming from out of town, it may be worth considering a place to stay that’s close to a Green Line trolley stop.

[OC Richard]

Thanks for doing the legwork and investigating the venue.

For me, coming from the north, it's 25 miles further, which doesn't help.

Great to hear there's plenty of parking. (Actually parking has never been an issue for me at any venue because I arrive early enough to listen to solo piping.)

Fully agreed about the beer issue. For us Pipe Band people the ideal thing, if you're going to limit it to caged-in Beer Gardens, is to have one such area adjacent to where the bands compete.

It was like that for years at Queen Mary and Bengle Terrace Park; after each band marched off the field it would assemble the Beer Tent, which was ideal camaraderie for us pipe band people.

Any and all beer-drinking confinements are preferable to some of the Eastern US Highland Games which are held in venues at which no alcohol is permitted.

One bummer is that they moved the date from the traditional weekend after Fathers' Day to Fathers' Day weekend itself, thus it will now probably coincide with one or more Irish Festivals.

[jsrnephdoc]

One bummer is that they moved the date from the traditional weekend after Fathers' Day to Fathers' Day weekend itself, thus it will now probably coincide with one or more Irish Festivals.

I'm curious. Is the reason that Father's Day weekend will bring out the Irish, selectively, is that they're all good Catholics and therefore tip the scales on the offsprings meters?

[SF Jeff]

I checked out the park on google maps and with just a handful of trees north of the overpass, it does look like there will be a lack of shade. With the park being mostly grass I don't see a bad spot for the piping (i.e. no dirt or pavement), just the lack of shade. So hopefully they will address that issue with sun shades or something similar.

With this being a public park that normally does not allow alcohol, I think there's a good chance for an enclosed beer garden. But that may be dependent on the university or city/county codes. If that's the case, I don't think they will put it in a location favorable to the pipe bands. They will put it near the entertainment stages where most people will want to socialize.

I won't start a new thread for this one, but these games were also on hiatus for a few years and have now returned. I've never attended, too far of a drive and I hate the grapevine. Same weekend as the Vegas games, which I may attend this year, gods be willing. If the gods aren't willing, then maybe I'll check them out.

https://www.kernscot.org

[YOJiMBO20]

With this being a public park that normally does not allow alcohol, I think there's a good chance for an enclosed beer garden. But that may be dependent on the university or city/county codes. If that's the case, I don't think they will put it in a location favorable to the pipe bands. They will put it near the entertainment stages where most people will want to socialize.

But if the whole event is fenced in, the whole thing could be considered an enclosed beer garden. No need for extra fences to keep beer out of the whole enclosure.

[OC Richard]

Is the reason that Fathers' Day weekend will bring out the Irish?

I knew that the Southern California Irish Fair has been held on Fathers' Day since it began in the 1970s, and that competing Irish Fairs have also cropped up the same weekend, but I never heard a reason.

Google AI says this:

In Ireland, Fathers' Day is celebrated on the same day as in the US (the third Sunday in June)

and that in Ireland, Fathers' Day has been a popular time for feiseanna (gatherings for Irish dance and music).

[OC Richard]

But if the whole event is fenced in, the whole thing could be considered an enclosed beer garden. No need for extra fences to keep beer out of the whole enclosure.

I've noticed that at some of our Highland Games anyone purchasing alcohol is carded and wrist-banded, though at some Games you can roam free, at some you're confined to an over-21-only enclosure, and at some you're confined to an all-ages-allowed enclosure. Why, I have no idea.

For drinkers, Games at County Fairgrounds are better than Games at City Parks.

[OC Richard]

I hate the Grapevine.

Ha! I drove over that yesterday. It's not too bad unless you get stuck waiting for snow-plows to clear the road.

[SF Jeff]

Ha! I drove over that yesterday. It's not too bad unless you get stuck waiting for snow-plows to clear the road.

Been escorted over it by the CHP a few times back in the day.

I do have a snowplow story (Tahoe, not grapevine) but I don't want to hijack the thread.