Radford, Virginia Highlanders Festival

Radford, Virginia Highlanders Festival Celebrates Virginia’s Scots-Irish Ancestry

Gaelic Storm returns to the Radford Highlanders Festival to rock the crowd with an eclectic blend of Scots-Irish rock. Last year over 11,000 people made the festival part of their fall getaway to the highlands.

Fall travelers winding their way down Virginia’s scenic roads on the weekend of October 14 will want to make a stop in Radford and visit Radford University and the downtown historic district. On Saturday, October 14, over 11,000 people are expected to converge on the 177-acre campus to honor the rich Scots-Irish traditions of Southwest Virginia at the 11th annual Radford Highlanders Festival. This day-long celebration has more than quadrupled in size since its birth in the fall of 1996. Gaelic Storm, the band that gained notoriety for their performance in “Titanic,” will make a return visit as this year’s guest band.

History weaves its way through local families and culture. The area is known for its storytellers, Appalachian-Celtic musicians, folklore, craftsmanship and even the language.

The Radford Highlanders Festival has become a much-anticipated annual event that brings all-things-Scottish back to the people. The day begins at 9 a.m. with traditional heavyweight athletics and continues through the afternoon with highland dancing, music, bag piping, Scottish clan gatherings, genealogical workshops, herding demonstrations and much more. More than 50 craft and food vendors line the sidewalks on RU’s Moffett Field.

The festival is also unique in that it is held in conjunction with RU’s Homecoming Weekend. On the eve prior to the festival, the city hosts “A Celtic Celebration Downtown” which includes a traditional style Scottish Ceilidh.

Radford is within driving distance of several metropolitan cities. Located just off Exit 109 of Interstate 81, it is seven hours from Philadelphia, Pa., four and half hours from the nation’s capitol, three hours from Richmond, Va., two hours from Charlotte, N.C., and 40 minutes from Roanoke, Va. Major airports connect to the Roanoke Regional Airport.

To learn more, log onto www.radford.edu/festival , call the RU Office of University Relations at (540) 831-5804 or e-mail broberts@radford.edu .