Page 18 � Union County GA Magazine � Holiday 2022 Winter 2023
www . unioncountymag . com � 10th Anniversary
Union County ’ s 3 Major Festivals
Blairsville Scottish Festival & Highland Games
One of the most impressive sights anytime of the year is the assembling of the massed bands with participants dressed in Scottish attire and the Parade of Tartans on the field at Meeks Park at the Noon hour on the Saturday of the Blairsville Scottish Festival & Highland Games held in June .
For nearly two dozen years , the event features highland dancers , Scottish athletes , family clans , bagpipes , drums , sheep dogs , falcons , birds of prey , and traditional musicians gathered to celebrate the Scottish heritage . Vendors with traditional Scottish wares , clothing and food add to the event .
No need to get a passport and international flight across the ocean to experience Scottish traditions when it happens here in the highlands of North Georgia . Wee lads and lassies and
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Welcome to Blairsville , y ’ all !
Darren Harper
Program Manager 706.347.3503
www . blairsvillescottishfestival . com
By Norm Cooper Editor , Union County GA Magazine
adults all enjoy the event .
The Blairsville Scottish Festival & Highland Games was designated as a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society for many consecutive years .
The idea for a Scottish Festival began during a meeting when many discussed ideas for an event that would bring tourists to Union County during the Spring . It now operates under a committee .
The Highland Games are sanctioned for athletes who can earn points as they compete . A few years ago new world records were established in Blairsville .
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Blairsville Downtown Development Authority 62 Blue Ridge Street Blairsville , Georgia 30512 www . butternutcreekfestival . com
The annual Butternut Creek Festival , always held the third weekend in July , has become a welcome event during the summer in Blairsville .
The High Country Artisans recently finished their 23rd fine arts and crafts show welcoming over 12,000 visitors to beautiful Meeks Park .
This show is juried , which means the 82 artists chosen to participate must create their own product . They also must be present in their booth for attendees to interact with and perhaps purchase their wares .
Several non-profit groups also participate which gives them an opportunity to educate the attendees on the community projects they support .
Those attending the festival enjoy a variety of items including jewelry , pottery , wood , glass and metal crafts , candles and soaps , photography , fine painting , furniture , birdhouses , fabric arts , musical instruments , wooden
Mountain Building Supply - Blairsville
1993 Hwy . 515E , Blairsville , Ga . 706-745-5200
Chuck Truex , Area Manager Blairsville & Hayesville - chuckt @ brmemc . net P . O . Box 1299 , Blairsville , GA 30514 www . blairsvillesorghumfestival . com
June in Meeks Park July in Meeks Park October ( 2 weekends ) in Meeks Park
Opening Ceremony 2022 of Blairsville Scottish Festival & Highland Games
Butternut Creek Festival Blairsville
photo / NormC
toys , and other unique crafts .
High Country Artisans , Inc ., a non-profit organization , coordinates the festival . A small group of local artists formed in 1997 to find a way to show their crafts in a quality environment . They chose Meeks Park as their venue , and the first show was held in 1998 . The show was a hit and the group of unpaid volunteers has continued to put together the festival ever since .
Their mission is to promote and enhance the arts in Union County and the surrounding area . The funds generated from the show are then used to support local art projects . In recent years , the primary recipient of those funds have been the children of Union County schools , including the Woody Gap School in Suches .
The group also supports other art projects in the area and helped to build the Gazebo , which is a prominent part of Meeks Park .