Grandfather Mountain Highland Games Grandfather Mountain Highland Games Held every year, the second full weekend in July, near Linwood, North Carolina amidst spectacular mountain scenery, the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games is the largest assembly of clan society members in the world. Attendance figures have soared to between 30,000 and 40,000 from a start of approximately 1,500 in 1956. The Games were started as a one-day event, but have since been extended to three days of traditional entertainment and competitions. For a time, archery, fencing, and a sailboat regatta on Loch Dornie at the Grandfather Golf and Country Club were featured, but later abandoned. A Grandfather Mountain Marathon extends from Appalachian State University's stadium in Boone for 26.22 miles over up-hill terrain.
Athletic competitions are only a part of the festivities.
One of the crowd pleasers each year is a demonstration of sheep herding by border collies. In the wooded glades beyond the athletic track and fields, there are simultaneous competitions in piping, drumming, Highland dancing, Scots fiddling, playing the Celtic harp, and Jews harp. Children's activities include face-painting, sack races and tug 'o war. Genealogists are on hand to trace visitors' Scottish ancestry. And, of course, there are meetings of clan societies.