Scottish Highland Games moving Venue in Ferndale WA
After 20 years of having the Bellingham Scottish Highland Games at Hovander Homestead Park, the games organizers decided to move the annual June event to Ferndale Pioneer Park for 2007. The Bellingham Scottish Highland Games will haul its bagpipes and toss its cabers to Pioneer Park in June, leaving behind the county park to save some money, but keep the event in Bellingham.
The Bellingham Highland Games, scheduled for June 2 and 3, will save thousands of dollars by moving operations from Hovander Homestead Park, said Glen Winchester, games president. The new location, across the Nooksack River at the Ferndale city park, will still have enough space for all the events and vendors, he said. The event is always held the first Saturday in June.
“The size of the property is a little bit larger than what we were using at Hovander,” Winchester said. “It’ll be a whole new experience because things will be in a different place.”
In addition to Pioneer Park itself, Highland Games organizers are interested in using the adjacent sports fields. Those who camp at the games will be able to stay at Pioneer Park or nearby Vanderyacht Park, Winchester said.
Parking will probably be on a lot adjoining the park, he said. If that lot and nearby streets aren’t enough, organizers can arrange for parking at area Ferndale schools or even Hovander, he said, and shuttle people to Pioneer Park.
The Highland Games draw thousands of people to see bagpipe and highland dance performances, sports competitions, and include concerts, food booths and other vendors. But the games have lost money the last two years, Winchester said, since the organizers have had to pay more to hold them at the county park.
This year’s rental cost was going to be about $5,000, plus $15,000 for insurance, he said, while Pioneer Park will cost $200 to rent and requires an insurance policy that will cost $5,000.
“There’s no more beautiful venue for highland games than Hovander,” Winchester said. “It was a pretty sad day when we had to take the vote.” Winchester looked into moving the games to the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds or the Deming Logging Show Grounds, but games organizers worried that they wouldn’t be able to get the word out to those who have been coming to Ferndale from across the state and British Columbia for 20 years.
Keeping the festival in Ferndale “is probably the best we can hope for,” he said. “We just need a sign where the entrance of Hovander is, to go across the bridge and make a left turn.” Via partially bellinghamherald
Will the organizers of the Ferndale Highland Games be moving back over to the Hovander Homestead Park this coming year? We sure liked it better over there vs the Pioneer Park location. We have been coming down to the event every year for the past fifteen years from Abbotsford, BC. Don’t get me wrong, It was OK but it just didn’t have the same appeal as the Hovander setting did. On the way home we always stop at the farm off of Northwest Road to pick strawberry’s. You guys sure know how to grow your berry’s down there. Take care and thanks for providing this information.
Comment by Dave — December 3, 2007 @ 12:30 pm
Hi Dave,
I try to attend the Highland Games in Ferndale every year myself, last June was the first time in about seven years that I didn’t go. So I can’t really compare Hovander Park vs Pioneer Park. However, I have used both of the Ferndale area parks a lot over the years and it seems the Hovander Park would be a much better spot to have a highland games. Maybe in a year or two the Bellingham Highland Games organizers will re-think it and relocate the event back to Hovander Park.
The strawberry’s around here are usually not available until June 1, you must have some secret spot that opens up early. The only berry farmer that I know of on Northwest Road is Boxx Berry Farm. The Boxx family really does have a nice farm to pick Strawberry’s at. They also have a nice selection of raspberries, blue berry’s and a variety of vegetables.
Comment by Jerry — December 4, 2007 @ 5:16 pm
The Ferndale Record Journal is reporting today that The Highland Games are returning to Hovander Homestead Park this year on June 7-8 for its 48th annual event.
The Whatcom County Parks Department is currently waiting for the Highland Games’ board to submit its official event application and contract for signing before they can be submitted to the Whatcom County Council for approval, said county parks director Michael MacFarlane.
Yeah…Thank you. Thats exactly where this venue should be and should stay.
Comment by Jerry — March 20, 2008 @ 5:41 pm