Antigonish Highland Games

The Antigonish Highland Society sponsored the inaugural Antigonish Highland Games October 16th, 1863. There is evidence a highland games was hosted informally, in Antigonish, before 1863. Events included foot races, piping, the Highland Fling competition, as well as traditional Scottish heavy events. In 1868, the competitions were expanded to include hurdle races, archery, and the reel and sword dances. At the time, these were exclusively male pursuits.

The Antigonish Highland Games traditionally occurred in August after the hay was cut. The Games reflected dance and music and heavy events. As the Games developed an agricultural fair evolved parallel to the Games. Remarkably, in Scotland, a highland games was established which eventually split to form the Inverness Northern Region and the Royal Highlands and Islands Agricultural Fair. In Antigonish, our games continued as the Antigonish Highland Games and saw the development of the Eastern Nova Scotia Exhibition.