Smoky Mountain Scottish Festival & Games
- Dates
- May 15 to 16, 2027
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- Greater Smokies Event Grounds
- Price
- Not announced
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Sep 1, 2026
Smoky Mountain Scottish Festival & Games returns to Townsend, TN, May 15 to 16, 2027. Froligo tracks ticket prices, attendee feedback and travel details.
The experience
What's special
The Smoky Mountain Scottish Festival & Games is Tennessee's oldest festival of Scottish, Irish and Celtic culture, founded in 1981 and held each spring at the Greater Smokies Event Grounds in Townsend, just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The weekend packs in Highland heavy athletics and the caber toss, piping and drumming, Highland dance, clan tents, border collie sheep herding, whisky tastings, axe throwing and three stages of Celtic music
What people love
Attendees appreciate that the roomy Townsend layout spreads out the games, clans and vendors, and first-timers describe having a blast among the kilts, athletics and clan tents. Common gripes are long food lines with only a few trucks, limited spectator viewing space away from the clan areas, and a wish for more seating
Last time around
The 44th games ran May 16-17, 2026 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Greater Smokies Event Grounds in Townsend, with Highland athletics, piping and drumming, Highland dancers and clan tents alongside live Celtic music across the weekend
The games
Heavy athletics
The games run Scottish heavy athletics, a spectacle of strength rooted in everyday implements such as the stone, the blacksmith's hammer and the tree trunk or caber
Pipe bands & Highland dance
Piping and drumming competitions run through the weekend and draw players from around the world across levels from beginner to professional, alongside a Highland dance competition
Clans & genealogy
Scottish clan hosts staff clan tents where visitors can find out whether they belong to a clan, learn about its tartans and join as members
Taking part
Beyond the competitions the weekend offers border collie sheep-herding demonstrations, whisky tastings, axe throwing, children's activities and three stages of Celtic rock, Gaelic folk and other live music
See it before you go
A look at the Highland Games in general, not this specific event.
Getting there
How do I get to Smoky Mountain Scottish Festival & Games?
By train
No direct passenger rail to the venue was found. Use the airport transfers or shuttle options above.
By bus
No scheduled intercity bus or public transit route to the venue was found. Use the airport transfers or shuttle options above.
🚙 Car hire
Where
Exact location not mapped yet.
Venue
Greater Smokies Event Grounds
Pricing
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