Athena Caledonian Games continues in its tradition of presenting a Highland Games in Athena July 8 & 9.  Caledonia is another name for Scotland and Highland Games are a product of Scotland that are gatherings for friends, Scottish music, friendly Scottish athletic competition and sharing. Using that historic pattern of Highland Games still held around the world, Athena Caledonian Games features entertainment, a parade, bag pipe music, Highland dancing, clan groups, an athletic competition, stories, displays and kids’ games.  Walking into City Park is an education in the Scottish tradition with the skirl of the pipes and the flair of the kilt.

         Guest artists bring Athena Caledonian Games a rare gift of Celtic music that is somewhere between traditional and contemporary Scottish with bagpipes, vocals, and bodron (a Celtic drum)  for a lively Scottish rhythm and lilt.   Guess When Band, is a family band from Boise who have the Celtic beat in their blood that they developed as they were raised together.  Now the 5 member band turns out performances that are lively, spirited and downright fun.   They will perform on the Central Stage in City Park Saturday afternoon.  Features by Guess When will be interchanged with the exciting sound and vitality of a lone piper with potential.  Michael Mullins, known as a Trio of One,  is able to tie in with his own accompaniment and potentially mixes it all together for a complete performance with Scots and jazz, too.    Caledonian entertainment schedule for Saturday afternoon  is to be announced and all performances are free at City Park.

        The Athena Caledonian Scottish Athletic Competition is something to see!!  Strong men throw hay bales and weights for distance and height like the hearty farmers of old Scotland might have done in their daily work.  An especially exciting athletic event to watch or participate in is the Caber Throw that has historical reference to Scotland.  A farmer might have to throw a log over a fast-moving creek in wild, remote Scotland;  to accomplish this task, strength, timing and balance developed into  a technique that has now become a highly skilled competition event.   Professional athletes at Athena compete for a perfect 12 o’clock throw right next to novice competitors who have never thrown before! The Scottish caber looks like a telephone pole.  The Scottish-American Athletic Association monitors rules and measurements.  No experience is required and most events have two tries.    Rules and fees for enrollment are available at www.athenacaledoniangames.org   It is great fun to watch this competition and to  cheer on kilted  athletes.