152nd Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival
Get out your best kilt because it’s almost time for the 152nd Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival. The festival is being held this year at Topaz Park in Victoria, British Columbia. Bring your family and friends and celebrate the Scottish culture that produces some great times for all. Enjoy events such as the tug-of-war competition, the kilted mile athletics, the sheep dog herding competition and many more. There will also be music and entertainment as well as a large children’s entertainment area, Scottish and Celtic vendors for food and goodies, two beer gardens and a single malt whisky tasting school for the adults.
A Little History
The Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival first began in 1938 and was held at MacDonald Park, bringing in over 2,000 spectators and competitors in its first year. During the war years of 1939–1945 the Victoria Highland Games Association continued its annual gatherings to donate its proceeds to the Scottish war effort. As the years went on, the interest in the games expanded from only those with Scottish lineage to competitors of all nationalities. The games moved in 2008 to Topaz Park in Victoria for a two-day games and Celtic festival.
Admission and Dates
The festival begins Saturday, May 16th and goes through Monday, May 18th at Topaz Park in Victoria, B.C. The gates will be open from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and Monday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. If you purchase your tickets in advance you can save a little bit of money.
Advance ticket prices (12 and under gets in free):
- Weekend pass (adults) — $24
- Weekend pass (senior/youth) — $20
- Single day Saturday/Sunday — adults $12, senior/youth $10
- Single day Monday — adults $8, senior/youth $6
At-gate ticket prices (cash only, ATM available; 12 and under gets in free):
- Weekend pass (adults) — $30
- Weekend pass (senior/youth) — $24
- Single day Saturday/Sunday — adults $15, senior/youth $12
- Single day Monday — adults $10, senior/youth $8
Places to Stay
Fort Victoria RV Park — the largest all-year-round RV park in Victoria, BC. It’s only a 16-minute drive from Topaz Park and offers 300 full hookup sites, free cable TV, dump station, laundry, RV supplies and whale watching which includes free pick-ups.
Thetis Lake Campground — a 17-minute drive to Topaz Park. Easily accessible from Highway 1 and Six Mile Road and close to downtown Victoria.
Pedder Bay RV Resort — a little further away from the festival, but the resort is fairly new. If you don’t mind the 37-minute drive you won’t be disappointed: a full service marina, a gorgeous backdrop of the Cascade Mountain Range and the Race Rocks Marine Reserve.
Triangle RV Centre
If you’re travelling through the area and in need of service, stop by our service centre, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.