Colorado Highland Games 2026

The Colorado Highland Games, will take place September 26–27 at the Denver Polo Club in Sedalia, Colorado. The 62nd annual gathering will feature the 2026 Women’s Lightweight World Championship in Scottish Heavy Athletics, Highland dancing, piping and drumming, Celtic music, historical reenactment, clans, whisky tastings, British dogs and a Sunday British car show.

The event is hosted by the St. Andrew Society of Colorado, which has organized Highland Games in the state since 1963. Visitors interested in similar gatherings can find more Renaissance and medieval festivals in Colorado.

⚔️ Scottish Heavy Athletics and the Women’s Lightweight World Championship

Traditional Highland athletics form one of the central parts of the weekend. Competitors combine strength, technique and endurance across the classic heavy events associated with modern Scottish Highland Games.

A major addition for this edition is the 2026 Women’s Lightweight World Championship, bringing an international-level title competition to the Colorado Highland Games.

Highland athletics traditionally include disciplines such as:

• Caber toss
• Stone put
• Scottish hammer
• Weight for distance
• Weight over the bar
• Sheaf toss

Competitors in the heavy athletics program complete a demanding series of events during the day, preserving traditions that have become one of the most recognizable elements of Highland gatherings around the world.

💃 Highland Dance Competition

The official Highland Dance Competition and Demonstration takes place on Saturday, September 26, with Primary, Pre-Premier and Premier dancers competing under ScotDance and RSOBHD rules.

The competition includes traditional dances such as the Highland Fling, Sword Dance and Seann Triubhas, followed by additional events during the afternoon.

📅 Saturday Highland Dance program:

8:30 AM: Competition registration
9:00 AM: Highland dancing begins
Morning: Highland Fling, Sword Dance and Seann Triubhas
10:45 AM: Primary dancer registration
Approximately 11:00–11:15 AM: Primary competition
Afternoon: Remaining competitive dances and choreography events
Approximately 4:30 PM: Awards presentation

🎶 Piping, drumming and Celtic music

Bagpipes and drums are an essential part of the Colorado Highland Games, with competitive piping and drumming complementing ceremonial performances and massed-band traditions.

The entertainment program also brings together Scottish and Celtic folk, traditional music and contemporary Celtic rock.

Confirmed 2026 headliners include:

• Seven Nations
• Old Blind Dogs

Seven Nations combines Celtic instrumentation with rock, folk and contemporary influences, while Old Blind Dogs draws heavily on the traditional music and song heritage of northeastern Scotland.

Music, dance, pipe bands and Highland sports make the weekend a natural addition to the Celtic festivals featured on Medieval Agenda.

🏴 Clans, genealogy and Scottish heritage

Clan organizations provide visitors with an opportunity to explore Scottish family history and learn more about surnames, tartans and regional heritage.

The clan area is also an important social component of the Games, bringing together societies representing different Scottish families and traditions.

Visitors interested in tracing their ancestry can speak with clan representatives and investigate possible historical connections while learning how Scottish identities and traditions developed over generations.

🏹 Renaissance Scots and living history

Historical reenactment is represented by the Renaissance Scots, who recreate elements of Scottish life through demonstrations and educational displays.

Activities associated with the living-history area include traditional crafts and demonstrations such as:

• Weaving
• Spinning
• Blacksmithing
• Leatherworking
• Historical weapons demonstrations
• Period material culture
• Scottish history interpretation

This section expands the festival beyond sport and music by showing practical skills and aspects of everyday life from earlier periods of Scottish history.

🐕 Dogs of the British Isles

The festival celebrates dog breeds associated with Scotland and the wider British Isles. The canine program introduces visitors to breeds developed for herding, hunting, guarding and companionship.

A Parade of British Dogs is among the recurring highlights of the Games, giving families an opportunity to see different breeds together while learning about their origins and traditional roles.

🚗 British Car Show

The British Car Show takes place on Sunday, September 27, bringing classic British automobiles to the festival grounds.

📅 Sunday British Car Show schedule:

8:00 AM: Registered British cars begin parking
9:00 AM: British Car Show opens

Participation is limited to British vehicles, with registration capped to maintain a varied display of makes and models.

🥃 Whisky seminars

Guided Scotch whisky seminars form part of the adult program. The sessions are led by whisky specialist Rick Ewing, FSAScot, and explore the character, production and tasting of Scotch.

Each seminar lasts approximately one hour and requires a separate ticket.

Saturday, September 26

1:00 PM: Whisky Seminar
2:30 PM: Whisky Seminar
4:00 PM: Whisky Seminar

Sunday, September 27

1:00 PM: Whisky and chocolate pairing
2:30 PM: Whisky Seminar

Advance booking is recommended because seating is limited.

🎭 Bonnie Knees and other Scottish traditions

Saturday also includes the Bonnie Knees Contest, a lighthearted Highland Games tradition in which contestants wearing kilts compete for recognition based on their knees.

Other festival attractions include ceremonial activities, Scottish and Country dancing, food demonstrations, clan displays, cultural exhibits and opportunities to sample traditional foods.

🧒 Family activities

The Colorado Highland Games is designed as a family-oriented event, with activities for children alongside the competitive and cultural program.

Young visitors can experience Scottish traditions through games, demonstrations, music, animals, crafts and heritage activities while the athletic field and performance areas provide entertainment throughout the weekend.

🛍 Scottish food and marketplace

Festival vendors specialize in Scottish and Celtic products, food and handmade goods.

Merchandise typically includes:

• Kilts
• Sporrans
• Celtic jewelry
• Tartans and accessories
• Art and photography
• Handcrafted goods
• Historical and fantasy-inspired items
• Scottish gifts and heritage merchandise

Food vendors offer dishes inspired by Scotland and the British Isles, including opportunities to try haggis, alongside other festival meals and refreshments.

The event falls on the final weekend of the month and can also be included when planning visits to Renaissance faires and medieval festivals in September 2026.

🕒 Opening hours

Saturday, September 26: 9:00 AM–8:00 PM
Sunday, September 27: 9:00 AM–5:00 PM

🎟 Tickets and VIP admission

General admission tickets are available through the festival’s official ticketing system.

🎟 Buy Colorado Highland Games tickets online

Thistle Club VIP

Price: $150 per person
Minimum age: 21

The Thistle Club package includes:

• Weekend festival admission
• VIP parking
• Morning welcome receptions
• Standard whisky seminar ticket
• Haggis sample ticket
• Food and snacks
• Non-alcoholic beverages
• Private bar
• Celtic entertainment throughout the weekend
• Commemorative gift

🕒 Thistle Club hours:
Saturday: 9:00 AM–6:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM–4:00 PM

🏰 Denver Polo Club

The festival is held at the Denver Polo Club, a specialist equestrian and polo facility at 6359 Airport Road in Sedalia. Its open grass fields provide the space required for heavy athletics, dancing, pipe bands, clan tents, vendors, live entertainment and large outdoor demonstrations.

The club is located south of the Denver metropolitan area, with access from Santa Fe Drive and connections to both C-470 and Interstate 25.

📍 Sedalia, Colorado

Sedalia is a small community in Douglas County, southwest of Castle Rock and roughly 30 miles south of central Denver. The U.S. Census Bureau recorded 177 residents in the Sedalia census-designated place in 2020.

The community developed during Colorado’s nineteenth-century settlement period. A lumber mill was established on West Plum Creek in 1859, followed by farms, ranches and a settlement known for a time as Corral or Round Corral.

The arrival of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad in 1871 transformed the area into a rail stop known as Plum or Plum Station. Sedalia later became the established community name. Ranching and agriculture played an important role in the surrounding area, and several historic sites in the region preserve traces of that early settlement.

🚗 How to get to Sedalia

By road

The Denver Polo Club is convenient for visitors arriving from both Denver and Colorado Springs.

From Denver:
Take I-25 south to C-470 west, continue to Santa Fe Drive / U.S. 85, then travel south toward Airport Road. Turn right onto Airport Road and continue toward the polo grounds.

From Colorado Springs:
Take I-25 north toward Castle Rock, use Exit 184, continue toward Santa Fe Drive / U.S. 85, then travel north to Airport Road.

The venue is approximately 30 minutes from downtown Denver under normal traffic conditions.

By train

Sedalia does not have scheduled intercity passenger rail service.

Travelers arriving in Colorado by Amtrak can use Denver Union Station, which is served by the California Zephyr, and continue to Sedalia by road transportation.

Denver Union Station also connects with the metropolitan transit network and Denver International Airport rail services.

By bus

Sedalia and the Denver Polo Club are outside the principal high-frequency transit network used in central Denver. Visitors arriving by intercity bus can continue from Denver by rental car, taxi or rideshare service.

Because the venue is in a semi-rural area outside the city center, driving is the most practical transportation option for festival visitors.

📏 Approximate road distances from major Colorado cities

Denver: 30 mi
Aurora: 35 mi
Colorado Springs: 45 mi
Lakewood: 32 mi
Fort Collins: 95 mi
Pueblo: 90 mi

📏 Approximate road distances from major U.S. cities

Albuquerque: 420 mi
Kansas City: 610 mi
Phoenix: 850 mi
Dallas: 800 mi
Chicago: 1,020 mi
Los Angeles: 1,010 mi

Distances are approximate driving distances and can vary according to traffic and the selected route.

📌 Practical information

The Colorado Highland Games is an outdoor festival, so visitors should prepare for changing Colorado weather and extended periods on grass and uneven ground.

Useful points for planning a visit include:

• The event takes place outdoors at the Denver Polo Club.
• Saturday has longer opening hours than Sunday.
• Highland dancing begins at 9:00 AM on Saturday.
• The British Car Show is held on Sunday.
• Whisky seminars require separate admission.
• Thistle Club access is restricted to guests age 21 and over.
• Scottish and Celtic food and merchandise are sold throughout the grounds.
• The festival is operated with the support of volunteers.
• Tickets are non-refundable under the organizer’s published event terms.