K and I often tend to find events by accident and then, becoming somewhat enthralled, work those events annually into our calendar of outings. In two weeks, we’ll be going to the Bluff Mountain festival in Hot Springs, North Carolina, and it has been an annual trip since we first went in June 2006.

We’ve added another one: the Greenville Scottish Games. We arrived late, but we were lucky: we made it for the best portion of the day. But first, some exploring.

As with all festivals, food was everywhere. As with most festivals, non-standard dress was everywhere. Granted, some of the non-standard was actually standard. One can’t have a Scottish festival without the kilts, or the traditional Scottish favorite, deep fried Snickers.

Some of the non-standard clothing seemed not necessarily to be “standard” anywhere but Celtic legends. And so I guess there, in a round-about kind of way, was the connection.

The day was filled old crafts and new styles.

As Mystery Man dabbed paint, the Scottish band Albannach performed in the big tent. They struck me as a Scottish version of Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa: traditional instruments with somewhat modern rhythms.

The highlight, of course, was the pipe and drum combination. We managed good last-minute seats and watched them all march in,

ready themselves,

perform for the judges,

and march out.

At the end of the day, all bands came out and played.

Four hundred and some pipers and drummers.

An amazing sight and sound.