Event Details

Incorporated in 2025, Kingsville Highland Games (KHG) hosts an annual Scottish and Celtic cultural festival celebrating heritage, community, and tradition in Kingsville, Ontario. The Games include a range of traditional competitions and activities such as piping and drumming, Highland dancing, Scottish athletic heavy events (like caber toss, stone throw, and hammer toss), tug of war, clan gatherings, and fun elements like the Mayors Haggis Hurl and sheep herding demonstrations. The event has deep local roots as the Highland Games were historically held in Kingsville until 1987, drawing large crowds and showcasing Scottish culture in the region. After more than three decades without the celebration, the Games were revived in 2019. Having thrown their annual event in partnership with different organizations throughout the years, KHG took 2025 off to plan the best path forward, and the decision to incorporate as a not-for-profit was made. The 2026 Games will be the first under their newly-formed not-for-profit corporation. The Highland Games stand as the sole event of its kind in the Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent region, making it a cornerstone of local cultural heritage. This celebrated gathering draws enthusiastic crowds from across Ontario, Michigan, Ohio and beyond, uniting communities through tradition, athleticism, and shared cultural appreciation.

This application is for the Kingsville Highland Games 2026, taking place on June 27, 2026, at Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens in Kingsville. Having secured a new venue, the 2026 edition represents a new guest experience, offering family-friendly attractions such petting zoos, playgrounds and go-kart tracks, positioning the event as a family-oriented day. This year’s Festival will also feature a new sheep shearing demonstration, an interactive story-telling exhibit, new operational partnerships and a signature Scottish Ale brewed exclusively for the Festival. Programming includes: (1) Signature competitions: piping and drumming competitions, Highland dancing, Scottish heavy athletic events (hammer toss, caber toss, sheaf toss, stone throw), and a major international tug of war tournament featuring Leo’s Boys alongside Canadian and U.S. teams; (2) Heritage demonstrations: sheep herding and new sheep shearing demonstrations that highlight traditional Scottish farming practices and rural heritage; (3) Cultural ceremonies: opening and closing ceremonies, the Mayors’ Haggis Hurl, Clan Village ancestry exhibits, and massed piping and drumming performances that frame the Games as a shared cultural gathering; and (4) Exhibitions and storytelling: interactive heritage installations, clan history displays, and participatory genealogy experiences connecting visitors to Scottish migration, identity, and community history.