"Taste of Scotland" Festival, Franklin NC

[Kiltkevin]

I shall be there me and my wife

[MacWage]

It was fun. I came with Wilson.
I got my MacNeil kilt finished JUST for the event.

Solstice.
Sorry I didn't talk more. Wilson was getting tired and go FIXATED on the museum stairs (going up and down, up and down). I looked for ya later,but didn't see ya.

Franklin did a good job.

Also, Wilson's FAVORITE thing the WHOLE day:
Playing with the rock/gravel waterfall/fountain!!!!
(He got DRENCHED!)

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Yeah, my two year old loves going up and down the stairs, too. :-)

The festival was amazing. I talked with one ladt from New Bern, NC, who told me it was well worth the eight hour drive.

The museum & gift shop were open extended hours (from 9:00am to 7:00pm) and we were pretty much filled with people the whole time. I only got to go out for a few minutes to peruse some of the other vendors and see some of the acts. My family came out, though, and spent several hours seeing everything. My daughter's (age 5) favorite thing was the dancing. My two sons (3 and 2) loved the sword fighting demonstraions.

As my 2 year old told me yesterday evening, "I saw a ROBOT DIE!" I was confused for a minute, as I don't beleive we had any robots at our festival... until I realized he was talking about one of the reenactors in particular who was in a full suit of plate armour polished to a high shine. I suppose to a two year old he looked just like a robot! He had given one of the other young kids watching a sword and shield to "fight" him with, and apparantly the noble knight was just no match for the young guy. :-)

All in all a very wonderful event. Now I'm tired. :-)

M

[Tartan Hiker]

I'm glad things went well. The weather yesterday was certainly gorgeous. I had to work all day due to the Ruth Graham funeral in Montreat, so I had to miss the festivities.

[Peter C.]

I didn't see all of Franklin but the town centre where the festivities were held had the feel of what we in the UK would call a village, and a lovely village at that. It was as if the people had opened their village and invited everyone to come and enjoy the fun. It was great. I talked to more people in the six hours that I was there than I have at any other Scottish games or gathering.

The only X Marker I saw was Matt Newsome in the Tartan Museum gift shop where I bought a kilt belt for me , a sash for my wife and a CD by Bob Martin about the kilt.

I have already marked it down as a must attend next year!!!!

Peter

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Peter,

I'm glad to hear you had a great time! Yes, the Taste of Scotland is most definitely NOT a Highland Games, like many are used to. It is more like what we'd call a "small town street festival." A lot of small towns in the rural parts of the US will routinely have street fairs like Apple Fest, or Pumpkin Fest, to celebrate fall harvests -- or Luminary festivals around Christmas, and the like.

Taste of Scotland is like that, only all SCOTTISH! I've had more than on person originally from the UK comment that the atmosphere is more like what you'd find at festivals in Scotland than at the typical Highland Games.

In any case, I'm glad you came and enjoyed our unique character.
Aye,
Matt

[solstice]

It was fun. I came with Wilson.
I got my MacNeil kilt finished JUST for the event.

Solstice.
Sorry I didn't talk more. Wilson was getting tired and go FIXATED on the museum stairs (going up and down, up and down). I looked for ya later,but didn't see ya.

Franklin did a good job.

Also, Wilson's FAVORITE thing the WHOLE day:
Playing with the rock/gravel waterfall/fountain!!!!
(He got DRENCHED!)

Hey man, no worries. The two lovely ladies that I was with that day, who were at the back stage listening to the pipe band when I came to the museum, ended up complaining about the heat and made me take them somewhere cooler. I drove them up to Highlands.
I've been there with the kids and stairs thing, I know what you mean.

The festival was great though, I'm very glad I went.