Celtic Fling and Highland Games at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire Grounds

Today I was able to journey over to the Renaissance Faire grounds in Manheim PA in order to enjoy the Celtic themed events that take place only once a year there.  The Celtic Fling and Highland Games celebrates all things Celtic which includes Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Manx, Bretons, and Galecians/Asturians contributions and hosts a variety of bands, vendors, and, true to its namesake, athletes who compete in traditional highland games.  These games include the clachneart, the 28 and 56 pound throw, the Scottish hammer, the sheaf toss, the 56-pound weight toss, and the caber toss, which involves heaving a tapered wooden pole that is 19 feet long and 130 pounds and which is the centerpiece event of modern highland games.

 

 

 

Besides having great modern and traditional Celtic themed music such as that performed by Irish entertainer Seamus Kennedy, there was also a great deal of traditional Celtic food and drink to be had.  I was able to grab one of Scottland's most recognizable dishes, Haggis, which came with a side of Mash potatoes and gravy.  Haggis is a mixture of sheep heart, lungs, and liver which is combined with added herbs and all encased within the sheep's stomach.  Although looking somewhat like a sausage, it had a much more mild taste and smoother texture, and, in my opinion, had an overall better taste than sausage.



 

How could anyone think this is anything but delicious!?

 



One of the great things about the PA Renaissance Faire is that it is located on the Mount Hope Estate which also consists of a winery and brewery, allowing the beer and wine to be made onsite.  I was able to try both a Buckwheat Honey Porter Braggot and a Highland Heather Ale.  Braggot is a "marriage of ale and mead" that was a popular drink of medieval Europe.  Besides honey, it utilizes the flavors of rum, raisins, and molasses.  It had exactly what you would expect of a porter, having dark, roasted tones of flavor but with a combination of extra sugary sweetness, condolences of the honey.  The Highland Heather Ale was my favorite of the two, and interestingly used heather flowers instead of hops, thus reducing its overall bitterness.  Its light tones were complemented by an almost cider-like taste that provided a refreshing retreat from the summer heat.

The Porter Braggot (left) and Highland Heather Ale

 



There were also quite a few local vendors which included handmade soaps, local and natural cigars, and what might be described as hallucination inducing hot sauces.  Concerning the latter, I had an epiphany that sampling a hot sauce made with Trinidad Scorpion peppers, the hottest peppers in the world, was probably not the most intelligent idea.  While my mouth underwent something around the magnitude of a nuclear meltdown, I made sure to maintain a nonchalant attitude about the whole affair (thus reassuring myself of my manliness) and then departed with all due haste to the nearest beer and/or soda stand.

Later my father, who was accompanying me, and I watched the Scottish hammer event, in which a 22 pound hammer head is attached to a handle just a little longer than that of a basic sledge hammer.  The hammer is then swung around in a circle above the competitors head and released in the opposite direction of which they are facing.  All I can say is that anyone doubting the masculinity of a man wearing what would appear to be a woman's skirt would think twice after watching this event.

 

 

If you would like to go to the Celtic Fling and Highland Games there is only one more day left so hurry there!  Otherwise, it will be a whole year until it is back.  Overall I would rate it a very fun event that was pleasantly surprising in terms of its genuineness in the form of great traditional food and music and local vendors.  Next year I hope to go back, perhaps to spend not just one day but the whole weekend exploring this unique look at Celtic traditions.