Tudhope Park was echoing with the sounds of bagpipes Saturday as thousands descended on the city for the Orillia Scottish Festival.
The 45th edition of the event saw bagpipers marching through the park this afternoon followed by mass bands and Scottish country dancing.
Festival co-chair Carrie Dunn says she couldn’t have asked for a better turnout.
“The sightlines are filled, the vendors are filled, and the beer tent looks busy,” she said. “It’s been great.”
This year the festival featured six pipe bands and the 48th Highlanders military band.
“We are down a little bit from other years,” Dunn said. “Last-minute cancellations happen, and it fluctuates from year to year. We are happy with the bands that came out and they sound great.”
Despite moving the festival to Tudhope Park this year because of the construction on Centennial Drive near Couchiching Beach Park, this year’s festival still features the same attractions that have made it a local staple for four decades, she noted.
“It’s always rewarding seeing it come together because we always have challenges,” Dunn said. “The unknown this year was if people would still come because of the challenges and the change of location, but seeing everyone show up has been great.”
Historically, Orillia has a large Scottish settlement in the area, which is why Dunn says it’s so important for locals to attend the festival each year.
“There are a lot of people living here that love the bagpipes,” she said. “Some of it's heritage, some of it is they love Scotland, the music, and the traditions of the dancing. For others, they just want to experience something new.”
Don McIsaac walked in the parade as Orillia's mayor for the first time.
“This is quite exciting for me,” he said. “My ancestors fought in the 1746 Battle of Culloden."
As someone with Scottish heritage, McIsaac says he’s proud to have the festival in Orillia.
“It’s wonderful when you get a lot of people of Scottish descent together to celebrate the history of Scotland,” he said.
McIsaac says Orillia and Scottish people are resilient, which is why he credits festival organizers for making the event happen this year despite the restricted access to its usual home at Couchiching Beach Park.
Dunn says the festival will return next year, regardless of what challenges the committee may face.
“We couldn’t do it without our sponsors and the volunteers,” she said. “It’s a community event and it's a community of volunteers who pull it off.”