Enjoy The 44th Scottish Festival in Arkansas This Fall

Fall is just around the corner and soon we will be ready to get out and enjoy the cooler temperatures. Here is a great festival to check out in October. It's the 44th annual ScotsFest 2024 in Batesville, Arkansas. 

Batesville is the oldest town in Arkansas, and this is one of the largest Scottish festivals in the county. The festival is held from October 18 to 20 and coincides with Lyon College's homecoming celebration.

Listed as one of the best fall festivals in Arkansas, you will not only hear the fantastic sounds of bagpipes, fun Scottish traditions and Highland athletics.

Lyon College was founded in 1872 and it gets its Scottish history from its Presbyterian heritage.

The Presbyterian ministers who founded the college were of Scottish ancestry, and the college celebrates that heritage with this festival, one of the largest Scottish festivals in the country.

The festival started in 1979 and has grown over the years with an expected over 6,000 attendees this year.

The festival will kick off on Friday, October 18 with open classes, a Founders’ Day choir reunion, convocation, a rocket-building workshop, and an alumni awards celebration and alumni social.

Saturday, October 19 there will be traditional Scottish activities like Highland heavy athletics, a dog show, Scottish dancing, a British car show, sheepdog demonstrations and pipe band exhibitions. There will also be homecoming events with reunions, tailgating and a pep rally.

The Celtic Rock band Barleyjuice is scheduled to perform. Celtic songstress Misty Posey and entertainer and bagpipe educator Patrick Regan.

There will also be authentic Scottish cuisine from meat pies to delicious Scottish pastries.

The festival will come to an end on Sunday, October 20 with a Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan worship service and the annual Club 50 luncheon.

For the schedule of festival events go to arscottishfest.com.

Get our free mobile app